The IOC has suspended the Olympic champion from Russia from qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, driving the Russians to hysteria

Russian wrestler Abdulrashid Sadulayev was not allowed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to participate in the qualifying tournament in Baku, where licenses for the 2024 Games in Paris will be drawn on April 5-7. The 27-year-old athlete, who won gold at Rio 2026 and Tokyo 2020, was recognized as not meeting the criteria for so-called neutral athletes.

The president of the Russian Wrestling Federation (FSBI), Mikhail Mamiashvili, said this in hysterics, according to the organization's official website. The official accused the IOC of allegedly imposing unfair sanctions, keeping silent about the fact that Sadulayev took part in a Z-concert in support of the war against Ukraine in March 2022.

"After another pseudo-check, the IOC has released new lists of those banned from international competitions. Unfortunately, the two-time Olympic winner and captain of our team, Abdulrashid Sadulayev, is on the list. Unfortunately, even if Sadulayev comes to Baku, he will not be allowed to compete, as he is banned by the IOC in Athens. We were promptly contacted by the United World of Wrestling and given the opportunity to make a replacement as soon as possible - Alikhan Zhabrailov will compete in Baku," Mamiashvili said.

Earlier, Abdulrashid Sadulayev was not allowed to enter Romania for the European Championships, turning the Russian away right at the Bucharest airport. Border guards doubted the authenticity of the wrestler's Schengen visa.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the head of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, lashed out at the IOC, calling the organization "a bunch of sectarians, scoundrels, and fraudsters."

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