"Keep politics out of sports"; "Absolute trash" - Fans react to IOC ruling out top Russian wrestlers from competing at Paris Olympics 

The IOC recently unveiled a roster of Russian wrestlers eligible to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from competing at the Paris Olympics since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

However, athletes clearing the double-check set by the international sports federations and the IOC, confirming their lack of involvement in war and association with the countries' armed forces, will be eligible to compete in Paris. These athletes will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs), without their countries' flags.

The IOC published a list of 16 Russian and Belarusian wrestlers who would compete as AINs, omitting several top athletes, including the two-time Olympic gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulaev, and Tokyo Olympic medalist Zaur Rizvanovich Uguev. The list also excluded Zaurbek Sidakov, who secured a gold medal in 74kgs at the Tokyo Olympics, and the Belarusian wrestler Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau.

This infuriated wrestling fans, who took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction, as one of them wrote,

"Keep politics out of sports. Let them wrestle."

Another fan stated their dissent by simply calling it-

"Absolute trash. Insanity."

A fan backed the wrestlers, stating the decision as undesirable.

"Yes nobody that’s a fan of wrestling should think this is a good thing. These guys didn’t do anything wrong."

Here are a few more reactions from the fans expressing their disappointment with the decision.

"Winning the Olympics without the best around the world seems like a win with an asterisk," wrote a fan.

"This sucks!! When you reach this level of competition you want the Worlds Best. Kind of tarnishes the Gold Medal," one of the fans voiced their opinion.

"Not great for fans of the sport," another fan wrote.

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List of Russian wrestlers deemed eligible to compete in Paris

List of the Russian wrestlers allowed to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The list published by IOC includes 10 Russian wrestlers and 6 Belarusian wrestlers, whereas during the United World Wrestling qualifying event, Russian AINs secured 16 quotas and Belarussian AINs clinched 10 Olympic quotas.

The eligible Russian wrestlers will compete in the Games without any representation of their country, including their national flags. Moreover, the national anthem of Russia and Belarus will not be played if any of the athletes earn medals in any event.

The list of the Russian wrestlers allowed to compete in Paris is given below:

Russia

Men's Freestyle 57kg: Nachin Mongush

Men's Freestyle 65kg: Shamil Mamedov

Men's Freestyle 86kg: Arslan Bagaev

Men's Freestyle 125kg: Abdulla Kurbanov

Greco-Roman 87kg: Alan Ostaev

Greco-Roman 97kg: Magomed Murtazaliev

Women's Freestyle 53kg: Natalya Malysheva

Women's Freestyle 57kg: Veronika Chumikova

Women's Freestyle 62kg: Alina Kasabieva

Women's Freestyle 68kg: Elizaveta Petliakova

Belarus

Men's Freestyle 74kg: Yahor Akulich

Men's Freestyle 97kg: Uladzislau Kazlou

Greco-Roman 97kg: Abubakar Khaslakhanau

Greco-Roman 130kg: Dzmitri Zarubski

Women's Freestyle 53kg: Viyaleta Rebikava

Women's Freestyle 62kg: Krystsina Sazykina