UWW has banned 26 Russians and Belarusians from the World Wrestling Championships ©Getty Images

United World Wrestling (UWW) has banned 26 Russian and Belarusian athletes and support personnel from participating at its flagship event this month.

A total of 235 applications to attend the World Wrestling Championships were submitted to the International Federation.

A UWW statement said: "235 people from Russia and Belarus underwent thorough checks of personal data and social networks.

"The list includes 235 athletes and members of support staff.

"Of the 235 people tested, 26 people were denied admission, either because of active support for the war effort or because of confirmed membership in the armed forces or national security agencies."

The event is set to take place in Belgrade's Štark Arena for the second year running, with competition scheduled for September 16 to 24, after being relocated from Russia.

It was initially due to be held in Krasnoyarsk before being moved because of the invasion of Ukraine, by Russia and Belarus.

The 2022 edition had also been set for Krasnoyarsk, but UWW moved it to Serbia's capital in response to World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions that prevented Russia from staging major events.

The Štark Arena is set to host the World Wrestling Championships for the second consecutive year after Russia was stripped of the hosting rights ©Štark Arena
The Štark Arena is set to host the World Wrestling Championships for the second consecutive year after Russia was stripped of the hosting rights ©Štark Arena

It is the first time that Russian and Belarusian wrestlers are due to compete at the Championships since 2021.

The two nations missed out on the 2022 event after being subject to an outright ban in response to the war in Ukraine.

However, UWW has since reinstated them in line with International Olympic Committee recommendations. 

In April, the organisation's Bureau said it "unanimously favoured the return of wrestlers to competition from Russia and Belarus under the conditions of participation set forth by the IOC."

This saw wrestlers return to competition so long as they are not openly in support of the war or are affiliated with the military.

Russian athletes have been the dominant force in men's wrestling in recent years.

Competing as the Russian Wrestling Federation they topped the medals table for freestyle and Greco-Roman in 2021.

As Russia, the team did the same in 2018 and 2019 while Japan have won the most women's freestyle titles at every edition of the Championships since 2013.

This year's event is serving as a qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with 90 places on the line.

insidethegames has contacted UWW for a comment.