Twice Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev will not be allowed to compete in upcoming qualifiers for this summer's Paris Games because he has not met strict eligibility criteria for Russian athletes.
The world governing body UWW said on Thursday that the decision was made by a panel which determines whether Russians and Belarusians are allowed to compete under criteria set up by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"Sadulaev was declared ineligible after the panel found new information about his support of the Ukraine-Russia war and that he is still officially declared a member of the Dynamo club," the UWW said.
The Dynamo club in Moscow is said the be close to Russia's secret service. Sadulaev won gold in 2016 and 2021 and is also a four-time world champion.
Russians and Belarusians can only compete in Paris as neutral athletes without their national symbols and in individual sports. They must not speak out in support of the war and can not be affiliated with the military or other security agencies.
The IOC said recently it expects around 36 Russians and 22 Belarusians would qualify for the July 26-August 11 Games, pending the reviews.
The wrestling qualifiers in Baku are set to run from Friday to Sunday.