The referees who were “involved in the scandal” at the Russian freestyle wrestling championship match were suspended from work. The President of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, told Interfax about this.

“There is a decision on the judges, it remains to be approved. These judges were suspended from work, the first and second teams. They will not participate in further maintenance of the Russian Championship. I don’t think that they will judge the next Olympic cycle,” Mamiashvili said.

At the Russian freestyle wrestling championship in Yakutia on May 27, during the competition, a brawl occurred with the participation of two-time world champion Viktor Lebedev and Dagestan wrestler Ismail Musukaev. The match ended with a score of 3:3. However, the judges, based on additional indicators, gave the victory to Lebedev. After this, a brawl broke out, and riot police intervened in the conflict between the fighters . After this, the Dagestan team refused to compete further, and the tournament was temporarily discontinued.

Then Mamiashvili called the fight “ambiguous.” “The judges made serious mistakes. But the law is the law. The winner of this fight has been announced,” he said.

According to the Dagestan team, the refereeing at the match was carried out dishonestly. After the protest of the Dagestan team, a special jury was convened, which recognized the mistakes of the judges. The results of the match were left valid.

As a result, Lebedev refused to go to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “Judging professionally in my fights with Musukaev and [Alexander] Bogomoev, I say that I actually lost these fights. There were no such gross mistakes, but the judges definitely dragged me,” Lebedev said.

After a brawl at the Russian freestyle wrestling championship, judges were suspended