All 10 Russian wrestlers who received permission from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to participate in the Paris Olympics have refused to attend, the Russian Wrestling Federation (RWF) said on July 6.
The RWF said the decision was made after some of the country’s leading wrestlers were left off the invitation list, including two-time gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulayev and Zaurbek Sidakov, the 2023 world champion.
"We do not accept the unsportsmanlike principle of selection that guided the IOC in compiling the list of eligible athletes, the purpose of which is to undermine the principle of unity of our team," the federation said.
In December 2023, the IOC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paris Olympics as neutrals without flags and anthems because of the war in Ukraine. They also would not be allowed to march in the opening ceremony at the Olympics, which runs from July 26 to August 11.
The wrestling portion of the Olympics will run August 5-11.
In March, the IOC set up a special commission to assess the right of each Russian and Belarusian athlete to compete in Paris in a neutral status.
Among the IOC's requirements for neutral status are the lack of support for Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as ties with the army and special services, including the Dynamo and CSKA sports clubs.
On July 5, the IOC announced quotas for Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) -- those with Russian or Belarusian passports who have been confirmed as eligible to compete in Paris in each sport.
It listed 10 Russian wrestlers as being eligible for the games. However, according to the RWF, those wrestlers -- seven men and three women -- refused to travel to the Paris event.
Over the past decade, Russia has been isolated in international sports, first over doping allegations and then after Moscow launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.