Putin's judo ties help Russia regain footing in international sports
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IN SHORT
Russia's push for reintegration into international sports is gaining traction, with judo emerging as a key arena. The International Judo Federation, led by Marius Vizer, fully reinstated Russian athletes in November 2025, allowing them to compete under their national flag. This move has alarmed EU officials, who are considering sanctions against athletes and federations that welcome Russia back.
Who's Involved
Vladimir Putin
Russian President who has long-standing ties to judo
Marius Vizer
International Judo Federation president who helped transform the sport
Vitalii Dubrova
Ukrainian Judo Federation's head coach who criticized Vizer's ties to Russia
Arkady Rotenberg
Putin's childhood judo partner and former IJF executive committee member
Kirsty Coventry
president of the International Olympic Committee
Georgii Zantaraia
former judoka and chair of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine's athletes' commission
↳ Why This Matters
The reintegration of Russian athletes into international sports, particularly judo, is a key element of Moscow's soft-power agenda. This process has significant geopolitical implications, prompting discussions of sanctions and counter-measures from EU officials, and highlights the complex relationship between sports, politics, and international relations.
Key facts
The IJF became the first major sports organization to fully reinstate Russian athletes.
EU foreign policy officials are circulating ideas to sanction athletes and cut funds for sports federations welcoming Russia back.
Russia has maintained influence in international sports federations including chess, fencing, and boxing.
Putin's close allies are former judo training partners who built business empires through state contracts.
The IJF argues that athletes promoting peace should not be held responsible for governmental actions.
Brussels officials are grappling with the gradual reintegration of Moscow’s athletes into international sports, a process that has gained momentum ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Judo, a sport with deep ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has become a notable arena for this push. The International Judo Federation (IJF), led by Marius Vizer, fully reinstated Russian athletes in November 2025, allowing them to compete under their national flag for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
This decision has triggered alarm in Brussels, where EU foreign policy officials are considering measures such as sanctioning athletes and cutting funds for sports federations that welcome Russia back. According to a European External Action Service document, sport has increasingly become a tool of political instrumentalization by Russia and Belarus, a move that rankles Kyiv and European officials.
Putin's connections to judo predate the invasion of Ukraine, forming a network linking top political and business figures. His close allies, including childhood judo training partners Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, have built significant business empires through state contracts. The IJF, while offering solidarity funding to Ukraine and instituting background checks on Russian and Belarusian athletes in 2023, has argued against banning athletes, stating that they promote peace and international solidarity.
Frequently asked questions
The IJF is the international governing body for the sport of judo, responsible for organizing world championships and setting rules for the sport.
Marius Vizer is the Austrian-Romanian executive who has led the International Judo Federation since 2007, transforming the sport into a global commercial product.
The 'judo brotherhood' refers to a network of close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin who share a background in judo, influencing both Russian society and international sports.
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How It Developed
The International Judo Federation (IJF) fully reinstated Russian athletes in November 2025, allowing them to compete under their national flag.
In 2023, the IJF instituted background checks on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
In 2022, the IJF offered solidarity funding for Ukrainian judo.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was suspended as the honorary president of the IJF days after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2019, the IJF suspended Iran after Iranian officials pressured a world champion to withdraw from a competition to avoid facing an Israeli judoka.
In 1998, Arkady Rotenberg took over the Yavara-Neva judo club in St. Petersburg, founded at Putin's behest.
Arkady Rotenberg served on the IJF executive committee from 2013 to 2022.
Marius Vizer led the European Judo Union from 2000 to 2007 and has headed the IJF since 2007.
