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International judo restores Russian athletes’ full national honors amid controversy
The International Judo Federation (IJF) has decided to reinstate full national representation for Russian athletes, allowing them to compete under their national flag, anthem, and insignia starting with the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam event from November 28 to 30, 2025. This marks the first Olympic sport federation to end restrictions imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The IJF emphasized that sport should remain separate from politics, asserting that athletes should not be penalized for their governments' actions and highlighting Russia's historical prominence in international judo.
The decision follows the earlier reinstatement of Belarusian athletes under their national symbols, reflecting the IJF’s intent to provide equal conditions for all competitors. Russian Judo Federation President Sergei Soloveychik hailed the move as historic, noting that judo enjoys wide popularity within Russia, with hundreds of thousands of practitioners. The IJF emphasized fairness, transparency, and value-driven governance as core principles guiding this reversal.
This move has drawn sharp criticism, especially from the Ukrainian Judo Federation, which condemned the decision as contravening International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations and dismissive of the victims of the ongoing conflict. Ukraine had previously boycotted major judo championships after the reinstatement of Belarus and Russian judokas under neutral status.
The IJF’s policy diverges significantly from that of the IOC, which continues to restrict Russian and Belarusian athletes to competing only as neutral participants, without national flags or anthems, particularly for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. The Russian Olympic Committee remains suspended due to administrative actions in occupied Ukrainian territories. The decision also holds political undertones, as judo holds personal significance for Russian President Vladimir Putin, himself a black belt and former honorary IJF president, a title revoked by the IJF shortly after the 2022 invasion.
This development will interest sports professionals, policy analysts, and international affairs observers, given its implications on sports governance amid geopolitical conflict and the ongoing debate over the role of national identity in international competition.
