Russian wrestlers, who received invitations to compete as neutral athletes at the Paris Olympics, have decided not to participate.
The Russian Wrestling Federation (RWF) announced on Saturday that the exclusion of some leading wrestlers from the invitation list led to this decision.
Due to the conflict in Ukraine, referred to as a ‘special military operation’ by Russia, athletes from Russia and Belarus are permitted to participate solely as neutrals. This means they are not allowed to display their flags, play their anthems, or take part in the opening parade.
Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a two-time gold medalist, and Zaurbek Sidakov, the 2023 world champion, were among the prominent Russian wrestlers omitted from the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) list of invited neutral athletes in June, according to a statement from the RWF.
The RWF said that its executive committee, the coaching staff of the national teams, and the invited athletes unanimously decided not to participate in the Olympics following a meeting.
“We do not accept the unsportsmanlike selection principle that guided the International Olympic Committee when forming the list of eligible athletes, the purpose of which is to undermine the principle of unity of our team,” the RWF added.
The withdrawal of the wrestlers follows the decision of Russian cyclist Aleksandr Vlasov to also withdraw from the Olympics last month.
The Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11, with the wrestling competition commencing on August 5.
Due to the conflict in Ukraine, referred to as a ‘special military operation’ by Russia, athletes from Russia and Belarus are permitted to participate solely as neutrals. This means they are not allowed to display their flags, play their anthems, or take part in the opening parade.
Abdulrashid Sadulaev, a two-time gold medalist, and Zaurbek Sidakov, the 2023 world champion, were among the prominent Russian wrestlers omitted from the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) list of invited neutral athletes in June, according to a statement from the RWF.
The RWF said that its executive committee, the coaching staff of the national teams, and the invited athletes unanimously decided not to participate in the Olympics following a meeting.
“We do not accept the unsportsmanlike selection principle that guided the International Olympic Committee when forming the list of eligible athletes, the purpose of which is to undermine the principle of unity of our team,” the RWF added.
The withdrawal of the wrestlers follows the decision of Russian cyclist Aleksandr Vlasov to also withdraw from the Olympics last month.
The Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11, with the wrestling competition commencing on August 5.
Source: Reuters
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