Abu Dhabi ¨C Ayub Bliev became the first Russian judoka in more than two years to win a title under his national flag when he triumphed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam tournament on Friday.
Bliev, 28, wearing a bib with ¡°RUS¡± on it, not the AIN (Authorizzed Neutral Athletes) they previously bore, beat Mongolia¡¯s Ariunbold Enkhtaivan in the under 60-kilogram final and received his gold medal with his national flag being raised and the Russian anthem played.
Bliev and his compatriots had their neutral athlete status lifted by the International Judo Federation (IJF) on Thursday. The status had been in place since Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February 2022.
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