MOSCOW (RT) - Russian and Belarusian judokas will not be allowed to compete at the 2022 World Judo Championships in Uzbekistan next month despite previously being cleared to attend events as neutrals, it has been announced.
The International Judo Federation (IJF) bucked the trend back in March when – in contrast to the blanket bans issued by numerous other sporting federations – it continued to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to appear at tournaments, although only under the IJF flag.
That stance led to fury in Ukraine, whose judokas boycotted a World Cup event in Mongolia in June and threatened to do the same at the World Championships in Tashkent in October if Russians were present.
In a statement on Wednesday, the IJF confirmed that it would reverse its position for the remainder of 2022.
“The Executive Committee of the International Judo Federation decided today, 21st September 2022, considering the current international circumstances and in order to ensure the protection of all athletes in the sport of judo, to not allow the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in international judo events until January 2023,” read a message on the organization’s website.