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World Arm Wrestling Federation reinstates Russia at int’l competitions

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev stated that the decision is aligned with the general course of the international sports community towards the full-fledged return of Russian athletes

© Al Bello/ Getty Images

MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. The World Arm Wrestling Federation (WAF) has reinstated the previously suspended membership of the all-Russian Arm-Wrestling Federation and also lifted all sanctions regarding on the participation of Russian athletes in competitions supervised by the global body, Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev said on Friday.

"I congratulate the All-Russian Arm Wrestling Federation with its full membership’s reinstatement with the WAF as well as the clearance of all previously-imposed restrictions regarding the participation of our athletes, teams and officials," Degtyarev stated on his Telegram social network account.

"This is especially good news for Russian sports before the World Arm Wrestling Championships, where Russian athletes will once again be able to compete under the national flag and to the tune of the Russian national anthem while the competition’s [eventual] results are officially recorded," Russia’s top sports official emphasized.

"This decision followed the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee’s recommendations as of July 7, 2026 and are aligned with the general course of the international sports community towards the full-fledged return of Russian athletes," Degtyarev added.

In December 2025, the IOC Executive Board issued recommendations allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions under national flags and anthems. The recommendation applied to both individual and team sports. Numerous international sports federations followed the proposal.

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