Ten Russian wrestlers who were offered spots as neutrals at the Paris Olympics announced on Saturday that they would not be competing. In a statement, the Russian wrestling federation said that after a meeting, its representatives, trainers, and athletes “came to a unanimous decision—to refuse to participate in the Olympic Games.”
IOC, Russia at loggerheads
International Olympic Committee’s Individual Neutral Athlete program allowed some athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to compete during the conflict in Ukraine. The wrestlers would have been the largest group of Russians competing in any one sport in Paris.
IOC’s claim up in smoke
Prior to the Olympics in Paris, the IOC claimed to have invited ten Russian wrestlers. IOC claimed nine of them had accepted to compete, with one declining.
No Russian wrestlers in Paris Olympics
The federation declared that it disagreed with the IOC’s selection of wrestlers for invitations. It stated that six of the invited were “far from the status of Russian team leaders”. It claimed Russians had qualified for up to 16 Olympic slots, not just 10. The federation declared that the Olympic event would now be devalued. They also provided a list of prominent Russian wrestlers who were not invited.
“Any sane person understands that the status of the Olympic Games as the most significant sporting event is being questioned. Wrestling competitions without Russian athletes will be incomplete. The champions will not receive the satisfaction of winning the Olympic tournament,” the statement said.
Daniil Medvedev to participate
The Russian wrestlers were among the 23 athletes from seven sports on the IOC website as of Sunday, which stated that they had accepted invitations to the Olympics in Paris. The 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev is one of six tennis players who the IOC claims have accepted.
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