"Doesn’t even feel like a real wrestling tournament now"- Fans react as Russian Wrestling Team opt out of the Paris Olympics

Russian Wrestling team completely opted out of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. This decision was released publically two weeks before the commencement of the Paris Olympics.

The wrestlers of the Russian Wrestling team were slated to compete as neutral athletes in the upcoming Paris Olympics due to the sanctions imposed by the International Olympic Committee. The sanction would lead them to compete in the prestigious quadrennial games without displaying their national flags and moreover, upon winning, their National anthems won't be played like the traditions seen in other International events.

However, despite the sanctions, wrestlers worked hard to fulfill the qualification of the Olympic quota and make it to the Russian Wrestling team but the new rule imposed by the International Olympic Committee led them to cut down on their Olympic dream altogether.

The new rule approves a maximum of ten Russian Wrestlers to take part in the quadrennial games even if multiple wrestlers have surpassed the qualification quota.

Fans took to X to react to the decision of the Russian Wrestling team to opt out of the Olympics.

"Wow….Doesn’t even feel like a real wrestling tournament now," a fan tweeted.

" Wrestling is a joke," wrote a fan.

" Well I didn't see that coming. The reasons were BS anyway. I honestly get it. Political stunt by the IOC," another fan chimed in.

Here are some more fan reactions:

" All jokes and politics aside, it is a shame to not see some of the best wrestlers in the world complete," wrote a fan.

" This is the equivalent of having a college football tournament and leaving the SEC out," another fan chimed in.

"That’s a killer. I remember when the Olympics were ruined in the 80’s by boycotts," a fan tweeted.

Official Statement Released by the Russian Wrestling Team

The International Olympic Committee imposed sanctions on Russian athletes due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. The sanction along with the new rule of having a maximum of 10 wrestlers at the Olympics led to the Russian Wrestling Team to opt of the Paris Olympics in its entirety.

The Russian Wrestling Federation released a statement about the decision.

"The Russian Wrestling Federation, athletes and coaches of the Russian National Teams in freestyle, women's and Greco-Roman wrestling will not follow the lead of politicians and will not allow the spirit of the Russian Team to be broken. 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," read an excerpt of the statement.

Furthermore, the Russian Wrestling Federation stated that the prestigious quadrennial games will be incomplete without the presence and fierce competitiveness of the Russian Wrestling Team.

Russia have been a highly successful nation in wrestling at the Olympics, with 56 medals to their name. Back in the day, before it split, the Soviet Union, won a 116 Olympic medals in wrestling, including 62 golds.