Expect a slightly changed atmosphere in the Olympic wrestling matches this year! Why is that so? Well, the hot-off-the-press news is that the Paris mats will officially lack the presence of the formidable Russian wrestlers. And so will the spectators, as some of the game’s best will be formally ‘missing in action.’

While we’re just 19 sunsets away from the dawn of the first Paris Olympics day, this comes in as a major upset for the wrestling community. But what transpired for the sportsmen to have taken such a drastic call? Let’s dive straight into the crux of the matter.

Russian wrestlers boycott Paris Olympics

As reported by Reuters, on the 6th of July, Russian wrestlers who were invited to compete at the Olympics as neutral athletes, ‘unanimously’ refused to participate. A total of 10 were said to have declined the offer after 2 of their leading contenders, Tokyo gold winners Abdulrashid Sadulaev and Zaurbek Sidakov were not included in the June invitation list by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Interestingly, the entire unit of Russian wrestlers ended up boycotting the Paris Olympics thereafter. And, their administrative body, the Russan Wrestling Federation (RWF) firmly stood their ground. “We do not accept the unsportsmanlike selection principle that guided the International Olympic Committee when forming the list of eligible athletes, the purpose of which is to undermine the principle of unity of our team,” the RWF remarked.

But why is the participation scenario different for the Russian wrestlers? Apparently, the IOC sanctioned that Russian and Belarusian athletes can only participate in the Paris Olympics as neutrals—without flags, anthems, or appearing in the opening parade—due to the war in Ukraine. Although Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee and Sports Ministry pressed for a complete ban on their participation, they are presently allowed to compete only as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN).

Regardless, this comes as a huge blow to the wrestling community. Why? It’s because Russian wrestlers have carved an unparalleled legacy in the sport. Statistics show that the Soviet Union leads the all-time Olympic wrestling list with the most gold medals, a whopping 62. Reflecting on Rio, the Russian men’s wrestling team alone secured 9 wrestling medals for the nation. Thus, the RWF has exhibited great confidence that the wrestling competitions without their athletes will be “incomplete.”

But it seems the wrestlers aren’t alone; apparently, a few other Russian athletes from various sports have also joined the Olympics boycott bandwagon. Let’s take a closer look.

The Russian Judokas declined the Paris call too

In June 2024, Russian judokas were among the first to face this decision. Out of 17 contenders, only 4 were cleared to participate in the 33rd Olympic Games in Paris, a decision that did not sit well with the team. Consequently, Russia opted not to send any participants to the Paris Olympics in the sport.

The country’s judo federation stated, “Until the very end, we had hoped that common sense and a desire to hold full-fledged Olympic Games with athletes from Russia and Belarus would prevail over political intrigues.” But they felt unfortunate when their hopes were quashed. Thus the federation declined, with a part of their statement citing that they would not “accept the humiliating conditions.”

What do you think of this call made by the athletes? While it demonstrates a commendable team spirit, they would still be missing out on a major opportunity.