“I do not lose hope that common sense will prevail and the third Olympic Games will not be lost for me yet” – Sadulaev

Double Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev commented on the situation with his exclusion from the Olympic qualifying tournament in Baku.

Previously, the Russian Wrestling Federation (FSBR) reported that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not allow Sadulayev to participate in the licensed Olympic tournament in Baku. The corresponding notification was received by the FSBI from United World of Wrestling (UWW) on April 3. This is not the first time an athlete has been restricted. In February, the Russian wrestler was not allowed to enter Romania on a Schengen visa and was not given the opportunity to participate in the European Championships.

— In the process and without me, there was a lot of talk about this subject in the press and I agree with everything. Yes, it is unfair and, in many ways, unexpected. The selection of Russian athletes who do not meet the IOC requirements began last year, then I was not blacklisted and was able to participate in the World Championships. It seemed like there were no more complaints against me, and then it started. It was as if they had decided to hunt me down, without immediately announcing that they did not want to see me at international competitions. At first they didn’t let me enter Romania for the European Championship, and now, when I had finished my training and was already preparing to fly to the tournament, they took me suddenly informed that I couldn’t go.

I am often told that I could have rewritten many records in freestyle wrestling without the pandemic, the withdrawal of our team from international competitions and, finally, this story of my inaccessibility to Olympic qualification. But I don’t think about it too much, I just want to fight, win and please the fans. And complaining about fate and lost titles is not my rule. You have to be content with what you have, and I’ve been given so much that God forbid.

At the same time, I will not give up, I will continue to fight and I will not lose hope that common sense will prevail and the third Olympics will not be lost for me again.

And I have to say one more thing. Today more than ever, I feel the support of wrestling fans, and not only Russian ones. They write on social media and express themselves in personal communications. Believe me, my friends, it is worth a lot, it motivates and inspires, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to all of you for your kind words and participation,” Sadulaev quotes. wrestdag.ru .

Sadulayev won gold at the Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Games, and the 27-year-old wrestler also has five world championship victories.

The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024.