Tokyo 2020

Trio of Olympic Licenses Reassigned After Anti-Doping Rules Violations

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 19) – United World Wrestling this week confirmed that three wrestlers from the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships in Nur-Sultan have had their results disqualified following Anti-Doping Rules Violations.

Following Doping Controls and the results management conducted by the International Testing Agency (“ITA”) on behalf of United World Wrestling, the Anti-doping Rules Violations for the presence of prohibited substances have been established against Freestyle wrestlers Zelimkhan KHADJIEV (FRA, 74), Badkha KHUTABA (SYR, 125), and Khasanboy RAKHIMOV (UZB, 125), resulting in the automatic disqualification of the results, and as a consequence in their nation's Olympic licenses reassigned. Disciplinary proceedings, handled independently the ITA, are still pending to determine the sanctions on the athletes.

The new Olympic licenses have been awarded to the nations of the next highest-ranked wrestlers at 74kg (Poland) and 125kg (Iran, Kosovo). The national federations of France (74kg), Uzbekistan (125kg), and Syria (125kg) will be allowed to enter competitors at their respective Olympic qualifiers in March.

74kg – Kamil RYBICKI (POL)

1. RUS
2. ITA
3. USA
3. KAZ
5. JPN
6. POL

125kg – Egzon SHALA (KOS) + Yadollah MOHEBI (IRI)

1. GEO
2. TUR
3. UKR
3. CHN
5. KOS
6. IRI

The United World Wrestling website has updated brackets and results from the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships as well as the new allocations for Olympic licenses in each weight category. 

#UnitedWorldWrestling

Lise Legrand, former world champion, elected CNOSF board member

By United World Wrestling Press

PARIS (September 15) -- Lise LEGRAND (FRA), a former world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, has joined the Board of Directors of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).

The 47-year-old former wrestler was an Olympic bronze medalist in the 63kg weight class at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the first Games in which women's wrestling featured. She finished fifth at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Apart from the Olympic medal, Legrand, vice-president of the French Federation of Wrestling, is also a two-time World champion, winning gold in 1995 and 1997. She has two more medals from the World Championships, silver in 2002 and bronze in 1996.

In the European Championships, Legrand is a four-time gold medalist, two-time silver medalist and a four-time bronze medalist.

United World Wrestling congratulates Legrand for her appointment.