Russia announced on Saturday that 10 of its wrestlers selected to compete at the Paris Olympics as neutrals have decided to withdraw from the games. The Russian wrestling federation stated that after a meeting involving officials, coaches, and athletes, they collectively agreed to decline participation in the Olympic Games.
These wrestlers were set to be the largest contingent of Russian athletes in a single sport in Paris under the Individual Neutral Athlete program established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete amid the conflict in Ukraine. Although the IOC had extended invitations to 10 Russian wrestlers for the Paris Olympics, the federation expressed dissatisfaction with the selection process, claiming that more Russian athletes had qualified for the Games but were not included.
The IOC had previously stated that it would only invite Russian and Belarusian athletes without ties to security services or military and who had not publicly supported the conflict. These athletes would compete in neutral uniforms without national flags. While some Russian athletes supported participation under these conditions, others advocated for a boycott.
The Russian wrestling federation’s decision to decline participation underscores a broader disagreement within Russian sports bodies regarding the Paris Olympics. Last week, the Russian judo federation also announced its athletes would not compete in Paris, with differing opinions among Russian athletes and officials regarding Olympic participation.
As of the most recent update from the IOC, 23 Russian athletes across various sports, including wrestling, have accepted invitations to compete at the Paris Olympics as neutrals. Among them is Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, who is listed as one of the six tennis players from Russia accepting invitations.
