Russian Wrestlers Refuse Olympic Invite to Participate Under Neutral Flag

The Russian Wrestling Federation denied an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics under a “neutral” banner on Friday, calling the committee’s decision “unsportsmanlike” and “Russophobic.”

“The unreasonable dictum from the International Olympic Committee has led this organization to define the athletes lineups, this [decision] is already too much,” President of the Russian Wrestling Federation Mikhail Mamiashvili told Russia’s state-owned news agency, TASS, of the IOC’s invite.

The IOC barred athletes from participating under the Russian banner in 2023 due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Politico. However, Russian athletes could still participate under the Individual Neutral Athletes banner, a move that the 10 Russian wrestlers who qualified under, rejected, according to TASS.

Read more at The Daily Beast.