Lalovic, IOC, Olympic Solidarity, Olympics

President Lalovic to Serve as Member of IOC's Olympic Solidarity Commission

By Tim Foley

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (April 26) – The International Olympic Committee announced this week that United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic has accepted an appointment to serve as a member of the IOC’s commission for Olympic Solidarity.

The commission for Olympic Solidarity acts to “organize assistance to all the National Olympic Committees, particularly those with the greatest needs, through multi-faceted programs prioritizing athlete development, training of coaches and sports administrators, and promoting the Olympic values.”

Lalovic is the first for a president of the international wrestling federation to serve in this role.

“Olympic Solidarity is a vital part of the Olympic movement,” said Lalovic. “I look forward to working with my partners on the commission to provide access to sport for millions of athletes around the world. Part of our mission at the IOC is to build sport for those in need and through programs motivated by Agenda 2020 I know we can continue that improvement.”

Lalovic will begin work with the commission immediately.

#WrestleBelgrade

UWW completes World C'ship vetting process for Russia and Belarus

By United World Wrestling Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (September 1) — Following a rigorous vetting process by United World Wrestling, and in preparation for the Senior World Championships, 235 individuals from Russia and Belarus underwent thorough background and social media checks. This encompassed wrestlers across all styles and categories, as well as their accompanying support personnel. Out of the 235 names, 26 individuals were deemed ineligible due to either active support of the ongoing war or confirmed membership in military or national security agencies.

The decisions regarding eligibility were made by a panel, relying on comprehensive vetting reports provided by an independent and private intelligence service provider.

All athletes from Russia or Belarus will compete as Individual Neutral Athletes, without any flags or references to their respective countries. Additionally, the national anthems of Russia and Belarus will not be played in the event of medals being awarded to these athletes.

The 2023 World Championships kick off September 16-24, in Belgrade, Serbia. Fans can follow all the action live on UWW+, or on the "The Home of Wrestling," UWW's app.