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United World Wrestling Fully Restores Russian and Belarusian Athletes With Flags and Anthems
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United World Wrestling (UWW) has completely restored the rights of Russian and Belarusian athletes, permitting them to compete without restrictions across all age categories, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported on May 15.
Under the updated participation rules, wrestlers from both nations will now compete under their national flags at every level, including the senior division.
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Athletes and staff are permitted to wear uniforms bearing the initials “RUS” and “BLR,” and their national anthems will be played during medal ceremonies if they win individual gold or secure a team championship.
The decision is a rollback of previous sanctions. Following the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian representatives were banned from UWW competitions until April 2023, after which they were only allowed to compete under a strictly “neutral” status.
The federation began loosening these criteria in September 2024 and formally approved the participation of Under-23 athletes under national flags this January, following International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations, according to Suspilne.
The reinstatement in wrestling mirrors a trend across international sports federations. Sambo, judo, and taekwondo governing bodies have already fully restored Russian and Belarusian competitors across all age brackets. Meanwhile, restrictions in chess, fencing, and volleyball have been lifted at the youth level.
The UWW’s policy shift aligns with the latest IOC guidelines. In May, the IOC recommended lifting all sporting restrictions on Belarus, prompting the International Volleyball Federation, World Boxing, and the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) to fully admit Belarusian competitors under their national flag, Suspilne noted.
The reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian national symbols comes despite scrutiny over the true neutrality of their competitors. A previous investigation had revealed that several Russian athletes cleared by the IOC to compete as “neutrals” at the upcoming Winter Olympics have documented ties to pro-war activities.
Although the IOC claims its vetting process filters out military supporters, the investigation found approved athletes—including figure skaters and cross-country skiers—associated with pro-war figures, linked to Russian military organizations, and attending training camps in temporarily occupied Ukrainian Crimea.
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