Ten Russian wrestlers invited to compete on the Paris Olympics as impartial athletes won’t participate after among the main wrestlers have been left off the invitation checklist, the Russian Wrestling Federation stated Saturday.
Two-time gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulaev and 2023 world champion Zaurbek Sidakov have been among the many main Russian wrestlers not named within the Worldwide Olympic Committee’s checklist of invited impartial athletes in June, the RWF stated in an announcement.
The RWF stated its govt committee, the nationwide groups’ teaching employees and the invited athletes had unanimously determined to refuse to take part within the Olympics after a gathering.
“We don’t settle for the unsportsmanlike choice precept that guided the Worldwide Olympic Committee when forming the checklist of eligible athletes, the aim of which is to undermine the precept of unity of our staff,” the RWF stated.
The wrestlers would have been the most important group of Russians in anybody sport. The IOC didn’t instantly reply to a request to touch upon Saturday’s resolution by the Russian wrestling federation, whether or not it thought the wrestlers had confronted any stress to refuse and whether or not it might assist any wrestler who would possibly wish to compete towards the desires of the federation.
The federation stated as much as 16 Russians had certified for the Paris Olympics, not 10, and that six of these invited have been “removed from the standing of Russian staff leaders.” The federation listed the names of prime Russian wrestlers who did not get invites and stated the Olympic occasion would now be devalued.
“Any sane particular person understands that the standing of the Olympic Video games as essentially the most important sporting occasion is being questioned, and wrestling competitions with out Russian athletes will probably be incomplete, and the champions won’t obtain the satisfaction of successful the Olympic match,” the assertion stated.
The wrestlers’ withdrawal comes after Russian bike owner Aleksandr Vlasov additionally pulled out of the Olympics final month.
Russian and Belarusian athletes can take part solely as neutrals — with out flags, anthems or any function within the opening parade — due to the conflict in Ukraine. The IOC beforehand stated it might difficulty invites solely to Russian and Belarusian athletes who don’t have ties to the safety providers or army and who haven’t publicly supported the conflict.
Final week, the Russian judo federation stated its board had determined to not ship any athletes to Paris. Its assertion did not specify what its athletes thought. The IOC instructed The Related Press in an announcement Tuesday that it was ready for an “particular person reply” from the judo athletes. The IOC web site lists one Russian competitor in judo as having accepted an invite.
As of Sunday, the IOC web site listed 23 Russian athletes in seven sports activities who it stated had accepted invites for the Paris Olympics, together with the wrestlers. 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev is amongst six tennis gamers who the IOC says have accepted.
The Paris Olympics run from July 26 to Aug. 11, with the wrestling competitors beginning Aug. 5.
Reuters contributed to this report.