Paris Olympics 2024: Russian sole wrestler Shamil Mamedov decides to pull out of mega event

Russia’s only wrestler, who was considering an invitation to participate in the forthcoming Paris Olympics 2024, Shamil Mamedov, has now decided to pull out of the competition, according to the reports from the Russian Wrestling Federation on Tass News Agency on Saturday, July 13.

The Russian Wrestling Federation stated that the wrestler has been suffering from a recurring injury and the news about his decision has been informed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“On Saturday, Mamedov decided against his possible participation in the Games in connection with a recurring injury,” the federation said.

Mamedov, the bronze medalist at the World Wrestling Championships 2023, was free to decide whether to take part in the mega event, according to the Russian Wrestling Federation.

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Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as AINs at Paris Olympics 2024

In February 2022, the Russian Federation embarked on a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For the same reason, Russian and Belarus athletes have been barred from competing at the quadrennial event unless they compete as neutrals without flags, anthems, and emblems.

Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation is allowed after an additional vetting process by the IOC, and after passing the above-mentioned process, they are allowed to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs).

The list of Russian athletes competing at the Paris Olympics 2024 has shrunk from 36 to 15, with more than 20 athletes pulling out of the campaign after various sports federations refused to compete under the IOC’s existing conditions for its athletes.

While 36 athletes were expected to compete according to the IOC, 21 of them declined to participate, including the sole wrestler Mamedov. Comparatively, 335 athletes competed from Russia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, winning 71 medals, including 20 gold.

Furthermore, Russian authorities have publicly stated that the International Olympic Committee’s conditions for its athletes are discriminatory. Russian sports officials have also argued that the absences of their athletes have impacted the global sporting community.

In March 2024, the Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova went alleging that the IOC’s actions amounted to racism and neo-Nazism due to the stringent conditions and restrictions imposed.

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