Russia has officially declared that the ten wrestlers who had been offered the opportunity to compete as neutral athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics will refrain from participating. The Russian Wrestling Federation issued a statement revealing that referees, coaches, and athletes convened a meeting and unanimously decided to withdraw from the upcoming Olympic Games.
Russian athletes are eligible to compete in the Paris Olympics under the neutral athlete program established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This program allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate without representing their national flags due to the military invasion of Ukraine, which led to a ban on athletes from these two countries competing under their national banners.
Previously, the IOC had announced its invitation to ten Russian wrestlers for the Paris Olympics, with the IOC website listing nine wrestlers who had been approved for participation, while one athlete was denied entry into the event.