The Russian Judo Federation announced they are withdrawing all of their judo athletes from international competitions due to fears for their safety.
A statement from the Russian Judo Federation said, “Previously, the international federation supported us, saying that judo is out of politics and allowing us to compete. We decided to take a break precisely for reasons of concern for the safety of our athletes.”
The statement from Russia did not mention any specific incidents or concerns which necessitated the withdrawing of athletes, only saying “the logistics in the current conditions also leave much to be desired.”
The International Judo Federation (IJF) allowed Russian athletes to compete as neutral athletes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this month, however all IJF-sanctioned competitions in Russia were cancelled.
Vladimir Putin, a judo enthusiast and an eighth dan black belt, was also stripped of his honorary presidency title by the IJF.
The 2022 European Judo Championships take place April 29-May 1 in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the Russian Judo Federation left open the possibility they will send athletes to compete.
“We are working on various options, so we do not exclude the possibility that our team will perform there. We still have time to think.”
The Belarusian Judo Federation has also withdrawn their athletes from international competitions.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
