Russian judokas left autographs at the IOC headquarters

On the eve of the start of the Grand Slam tournament in Lausanne, the Russian judo team visited the holy of holies of the world Olympic movement — the Olympic House, the headquarters of the IOC. The champion and medalists of the Games signed on the wall of Olympians next to the names of legends from all over the world, and each received a certificate stating that the title of Olympian remains with a person forever.

Swiss Lausanne is hosting not only tatami this week, xrust writes: the day before the start of the Grand Slam tournament, the Russian delegation stopped by to visit the IOC itself. The Olympic House, a glass building on the shores of Lake Geneva designed to resemble an athlete in motion, hosts a symbolic ceremony for guests: each Olympian can sign a special wall next to the names of champions and medalists from all continents.

This time, names that are well known to Russian fans appeared on the list. The head coach of the national team, Dmitry Morozov, brought Olympic champion Arsen Galstyan and Tokyo 2020 bronze medalists Tamerlan Bashaev and Madina Taymazova to the ceremony. As the press service of the Russian Judo Federation reported, each participant was given a certificate with wording that explains a lot about the status of this title: you become an Olympian once and for all.

Voice from London 2012

It was no coincidence that Galstyan found himself in the spotlight: it was he who brought Russia gold in the up to 60 kg category in London in 2012 — the first for the country at those Games. According to him, being in the heart of world Olympism is in itself a great honor for everyone who once stepped onto the tatami of the Games, and what is happening in Lausanne is also symbolic because it reminds: the path to the top begins with an ordinary gym and an ordinary childhood hobby. The athlete expressed hope that the list of Russian names on this wall will continue to grow, and the IOC will continue to support athletes regardless of the circumstances.

The wording does not look like a random remark for the press. Behind her are three and a half years, during which the word “Olympian” for Russian judokas sounded with the reservation “neutral”.

How judo regained its flag before others

After the start of the SVO, the federations, one after another, closed their doors to Russian athletes, and those who were still allowed went to the start line without a flag, anthem or the name of the country. The International Judo Federation (IJF) held this line longer than many, but on November 27, 2025, its executive committee unexpectedly voted for the full restoration of Russian national representation — with a flag, anthem and symbols, starting with the tournament in Abu Dhabi. President of the Russian Judo Federation Sergei Soloveichik called the decision historic and thanked the IJF for its “long-awaited and courageous” position.

Judo turned out to be the first Olympic federation to do this without any intermediate conditions — earlier than taekwondo and aquatics, which joined a similar decision already in 2026. This step set the sport apart from the rest: most international federations by that time maintained a neutral status or a complete ban.

The reaction outside Russia was expectedly harsh. The Ukrainian Judo Federation called the decision a “blatant violation” of IOC recommendations and issued a categorical protest, accusing the IJF of double standards amid talk of “inclusivity.” Western publications — from ESPN to France 24 — drew attention to the symbolism of the moment: judo is closely associated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a black belt holder, and the head of the Ministry of Sports, Mikhail Degtyarev, in a commentary for his Telegram channel, emphasized that for the country this is, without exaggeration, a presidential sport. The IJF itself explained the decision by saying that athletes should not be responsible for the actions of governments, and sport cannot become a platform for geopolitics.

Lausanne as a warm-up before a busy season

The Grand Slam tournament in Lausanne (August 28–30) was not the first test for the Russian team in the status of a full team — since the beginning of the year, judokas have skated stages in Paris, Tbilisi, Dushanbe, Astana and Ulaanbaatar, and there is still Budapest, the World Championships in Baku and the season-ending Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi ahead. The fundamental difference of the current cycle is that athletes will compete without any restrictions on identification: with a flag on their uniform and an anthem on the pedestal, if it comes to gold.

A visit to the Olympic House on the eve of such a tournament looks more like a gesture than a protocol formality — not so much a report for the press, but a reminder to the athletes themselves why they go to the tatami in the first place. A wall of autographs isn't measured in medals, but it's details like these that usually stay in the memory longer than the tournaments themselves.

Sources:
dzen.ru · espn.com · sportrbc.ru

Xrust Russian judokas left autographs at the IOC headquarters