Russian wrestlers reject Olympics invitation

MOSCOW: Russian wrestlers who were given permission to participate in this summer´s Olympic Games have rejected the invitation, the Russian Wrestling Federation said Saturday.

After initially being barred from the Games over Moscow´s military offensive on Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has moved to allow a handful of Russian athletes to take part under a neutral flag if they meet strict conditions.

But the national federation said Saturday that 10 wrestlers who passed the eligibility checks would boycott the Games in protest at the IOC.

“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 federation said in a statement.

The federation´s executive committee, coaches and wrestlers “came to the unanimous decision to refuse to participate in the Olympic Games”. Russian officials have repeatedly blasted the IOC policy.