Russian Wrestlers Will Not Participate in the Paris Olympic Games

The Russian Wrestling Federation has officially announced its refusal to participate in the Paris Olympic Games.

According to a statement, the Executive Committee of the Russian Wrestling Federation, following extensive consultations with the coaching staffs of the freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's wrestling teams, and with wrestlers who received invitations to the Olympic Games, has unanimously decided to withdraw from the event. The federation, along with athletes and coaches, stated that they will not succumb to the demands of politicians and will not allow the spirit of the Russian teams to be broken.

In its announcement, it emphasized, “We do not accept the principle of non-sporting selection that the International Olympic Committee follows in forming the list of athletes entitled to participate. Its aim is to undermine the principle of unity within our team.”

It is worth noting that Russian wrestlers secured 16 out of a possible 18 quotas at the Olympic qualifying tournament. On June 15, the IOC published the list of Russian wrestlers entitled to participate, which includes only 10 athletes, six of whom are not among the team leaders.