Russians & Belarusians at the World Championships

[peanut]

The list of preliminary entries included at least some Belarusians, but no Russians. Now UWW addressed the situation today.

Apparently, athletes from Belarus and Russia were vetted for active support for the invasion of Ukraine, or confirmed membership in military or national security agencies. Out of 235 athletes, 26 were ruled ineligible.

I don't yet know who exactly was ruled ineligible. But the bottom line is there will be Russians.

[nhs67]

I am curious on who was ruled ineligible.

IIRC women who were married to involved men (as well as men to women) could also be deemed ineligible.  So it could be completely random.

How did they get 235 athletes?  10 x 3 = 30.  30 x 2 = 60.  Did they attempt to vet as many people within the federation as possible or does this also include U17, U20, and U23?  If it includes all four then that makes it 240 total.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

F'ing Russki's - crooked as fishhooks

[Sheerstress]

The IOC earlier this year said that Russian wrestlers were to be allowed to compete in Serbia as "Individual Neutral Athletes."  

Most notably, Sidakov and Sadulaev were to be included.  

Does this change that at all?

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

44 minutes ago, Sheerstress said:

The IOC earlier this year said that Russian wrestlers were to be allowed to compete in Serbia as "Individual Neutral Athletes."  

Most notably, Sidakov and Sadulaev were to be included.  

Does this change that at all?

Yet, the Russian athletes weren't included on the list of entrants. And while that list has been amended in the case of Gable Steveson, it hasn't been amended for any of the Russian freestylers.

I did a little more digging and found that Sidakov wrestles for Central Sports Club of the Armed Forces (CSKA). It's on his Wikipedia page. Years ago, he won a Military World Championship. 

On the other hand, Sadulaev and Uguev don't belong to a club run by the Russian army. 

However, there is this:

"Against this background, the United World of Wrestling (UWW) listed athletes Zavur Uguev, Zaurbek Sidakov and Abdulrashid Sadulaev among athletes admitted to wrestling competitions, registering them as neutral athletes.  Zavur Uguev (ensign) and Abdulrashid Sadulaev (junior lieutenant) are members of the Russian Guard, and Zaurbek Sidakov is a sergeant of the Russian Armed Forces."

This article is from back in August, and it is on a website of uncertain legitimacy. Moreover, it doesn't explain how these athletes were "admitted to wrestling competitions" and yet left off the official list of entrants.

So, still kinda murky.

We do know that at least those three have connections to the Russian military. 

[mspart]

If the article is of uncertain legitimacy, then do we really know these three have those connections?

mspart

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

8 hours ago, mspart said:

If the article is of uncertain legitimacy, then do we really know these three have those connections?

mspart

Sidakov is for certain. He wrestles for the actual RUSSIAN ARMY club. As for the others, the information needs additional confirmation or proof contrary in my mind.

Can you provide either?

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

Just found an article stating that the Ukrainian parliament sanctioned a total of 55 athletes "for showing support for the war."

This is the passage relevant to wrestling:

"Eight wrestlers feature in the form of Roman Vlasov, Musa Evloev, Alexander Karelin, Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Zaurbek Sidakov, Artur Taimazov, Dzambolat Tedeev and Zaur Uguev."

Was the information that informed the decision of the Ukrainian parliament made available to UWW? Did the UWW investigation seek out and include this information?

[Plasmodium]

Artur Taimazov?   Alexander Karelin? What kind of a list is this?

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

11 minutes ago, Plasmodium said:

Artur Taimazov?   Alexander Karelin? What kind of a list is this?

Involvement in Russian wrestling leadership and support for the war?

[Plasmodium]

1 hour ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

Involvement in Russian wrestling leadership and support for the war?

They aren't wrestlers or athletes.  Maybe they should have sanctioned everyone who supports the war, but that would be around 100,000,000 people.  

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

12 minutes ago, Plasmodium said:

They aren't wrestlers or athletes.  Maybe they should have sanctioned everyone who supports the war, but that would be around 100,000,000 people.  

Leadership in the federation?  I think this is to ban them from the site.

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

There's some additional clarity on the situation in the tweet attached below. Sidakov, Sadulaev and Uguev attended a large rally in Russia in support of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. That should end the matter. 

On top of that, there's the stupidity of the President of the Russian Wrestling Federation telling reporters this:

“If they want to see us in the Olympics as a team of refugees, we have to go to Paris in tanks. There’s no other option,” Mamiashvili told RIA Novosti Sport, a state-owned Russian news media.