Russia announced on Saturday that 10 of its wrestlers, who were offered spots at the Paris Olympics as neutrals, will refuse to compete. The Russian Wrestling Federation issued a statement after a meeting with officials, coaches, and athletes, saying they "came to an unanimous decision — to refuse to participate in the Olympic Games." The wrestlers would have constituted the largest group of Russians in any single sport competing in Paris under the Individual Neutral Athlete program. This initiative, launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), allows some athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to compete amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The IOC previously invited 10 Russian wrestlers to the Paris Olympics, listing nine as having agreed to compete, with one declining. The IOC has yet to respond to the Russian wrestling federation's statement, including whether it believed the wrestlers faced any pressure to refuse and if it would support any wrestler wishing to compete against the federation's decision. The federation criticized the IOC's selection process, claiming Russians had qualified up to 16 spots for the Paris Olympics, not just 10. It argued that six of those invited were "far from the status of Russian team leaders." The federation provided names of top Russian wrestlers who were not invited, asserting that the Olympic event would now be devalued. "Any sane person understands that the status of the Olympic Games as the most significant sporting event is being questioned, and wrestling competitions without Russian athletes will be incomplete, and the champions will not receive the satisfaction of winning the Olympic tournament," the statement read. The IOC has stipulated that only Russian and Belarusian athletes without ties to the security services or military, and who have not publicly supported the war, would be invited. These athletes would compete in neutral uniforms and not under the national flag. There is division among Russian athletes and officials, with some favoring participation under these conditions and others calling for boycotts. Unlike some other Russian sports bodies, the wrestling federation had sent athletes to participate in qualifying competitions. Recently, the Russian judo federation decided not to send any athletes to Paris, although it did not specify the athletes' opinions. The IOC stated it was awaiting an "individual reply" from the judo athletes. Currently, the IOC lists 23 Russian athletes in seven sports, including wrestlers, who have accepted invitations for the Paris Olympics. Among them is the 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev, one of six tennis players who have accepted invitations. — Agencies
