Russian Ekaterina Poleshchuk, bronze medalist at the World Championships, and Ukrainian Maria Vinnik did not shake hands after the 1/8 finals of the World Wrestling Championships in Serbia, reports a correspondent on site .
In the 1/8 finals of the women’s wrestling tournament in the non-Olympic weight category up to 55 kg, Vinnik defeated Poleshchuk with a score of 2:1. After the end of the match, they did not shake hands, as is customary in wrestling, as a sign of respect for the opponent. The two athletes did not approach each other after the winner was announced.
Earlier Monday during the tournament, Russian Anastasia Sidelnikova and Ukrainian Yulia Tkach also forwent the traditional handshake.
A representative of the United World of Wrestling (UWW) told that the UWW leadership had recommended Russian and Ukrainian athletes not to shake hands at the World Championships.
On Saturday, in the quarterfinals of the freestyle wrestling tournament in the weight category up to 61 kg, Russian Abasgadzhi Magomedov defeated Ukrainian Vitaly Blesetsky, and after the announcement of the winner, the two wrestlers did not squeeze each other the hand. Magomedov, in an interview with , said that his hand was always open for handshakes, but even before the fight he understood that the Ukrainian would not want to shake hands.
Russian Wrestling Federation President Mikhail Mamiashvili told that Blesetsky did not shake Magomedov’s hand of his own free will.
The World Championships take place in Belgrade (Serbia) from September 16 to 24. The Russians act in a neutral position. The tournament is a qualifier for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
