In a press release on Friday evening, the Russian Judo Federation announced it would not send any athletes to Paris in protest against the “humiliating conditions” regarding the number of athletes allowed to participate. Although 17 Russian judokas had directly qualified for the Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) authorized only four of them to participate, through the third list of athletes reintegrated into the Olympic competitions.
Regarding this situation, the president of the Romanian Judo Federation, Mr. Cozmin Gușă, issued the following statement:
“I find the IOC’s decision to ban Russian athletes from the Paris Olympics unacceptable and outrageous. This contradicts the principles of Olympism and is unjust to the great champions of Russian judo, who deserve the chance to win the medals they deserve. The politicization of sports competitions is an unforgivable mistake made by IOC officials, and I publicly call for an urgent reversal of this decision and for the situation to be resolved properly and in accordance with the Olympic spirit. I also urge the Romanian officials involved in IOC decisions, Mr. Octavian Morariu and Mr. Mihai Covaliu, to officially protest and take steps to block this abuse.”
Press Office of the Romanian Judo Federation
