Several Russian athletes decline to compete at Paris Olympics 2024

According to the Olympics’ official website, the list of Russian athletes scheduled to participate in the Paris Olympics 2024 has been reduced from 36 to 16. This is after multiple athletes declined to compete under the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) ‘humiliating restrictions’.

As per the IOC, athletes from Russia and Belarus aren't allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, they can participate as neutral athletes without the country's flags, anthems, and emblems.

Interestingly, a whopping number of 335 athletes from Russia competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, winning 71 medals, including 20 gold. However, things drastically changed as the number shrank to just 16 for the upcoming Olympic Games.

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Athletes to undergo vetting process to compete at Paris Olympics 2024

To ensure that the competing Russian and Belarusian athletes are not supporting Russia’s war and have no connection to its military, they must undergo an additional vetting process before receiving the green light to compete.

Moscow has publicly declared the vetting process discriminatory and called out the IOC for engaging in a conspiracy to exclude its athletes from competing at the Summer Olympics.

Things took a toll when two-time Olympic champion wrestler Abdulrashid Sadulaev failed the vetting process. The Russian Wrestling Federation released a statement on the matter.

“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 statement read.

Another wrestler, Veronika Chumikova stated that she decided not to compete at the Paris Olympics 2024, with the federation playing no role in influencing her decision.

Furthermore, the official Olympics website has listed one Russian wrestler (Shamil Mamedov) as a competitor after nine other squad members pulled out of the Games.

However, the Russian Wrestling Federation’s spokesperson confirmed that the wrestler is yet to confirm his participation.

“Shamil Mamedov has not made a final decision yet. There is no pressure on the athlete, athletes have the right to make all decisions independently,” the spokesman told Reuters.

Tokyo Olympics tennis doubles gold medal winner Andrey Rublev is also among the 20 athletes who opted out of the Paris Olympics 2024.

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