'We do not accept the unsportsmanlike selection': Russian wrestlers reject Olympics invitation

Russian wrestlers have unanimously turned down the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) invitation to participate in this year’s Paris Games. In a statement released by the Russian Wrestling Federation on Saturday (July 6), it stated that they won’t accept the invite deeming it to be “unsportsmanlike” while turning down the offer. The decision now means Russia’s overall participation in the Paris Olympics is all but over having been already banned from competing in the rest of the events by the IOC after the nation called for war on neighbours Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia rejects wrestling invitation

"We do not accept the unsportsmanlike selection principle that guided the International Olympic Committee when forming the list of eligible athletes," the federation said in a statement.

It further stated that the governing body, coaches and athletes had taken a "unanimous decision to refuse to participate in the Olympic Games.”

The IOC had stated that Russian Wrestlers could compete at the Paris Olympics if they demonstrated that they did not support the nation’s military offensive on Ukraine and had no links to the country's armed forces.

Even if the wrestlers admit to the above clause, they will only compete at the Olympics under a neutral flag and will be excluded from any team events and also the opening ceremony.

However, the decision did not go well with the authorities of the Wrestling Federation of Russia and they denied the invite, claiming it as “unsportsmanlike” for the nation’s other athletes.

Earlier, Ukraine's National Olympic Committee (NOC) and Sports Ministry requested the IOC to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing altogether. Under the current provision, Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete under the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) with "strict eligibility conditions."

According to Ukraine these "athletes quite often represent sports organizations related to the Russian Armed Forces” and should therefore should be banned from competing.

The letter also stated that athletes had a direct connection to the Russian military, such as canoeist Alexey Korovashkov, who is among the "representatives of the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army and officers of the Russian Army," according to the letter.

This is a "gross violation of the requirements established by the Individual Commission of Neutral Athletes of the IOC," the letter said.

(Inputs from Agencies)