Venezuela Repudiates the Exclusion of Elvismar Rodriguez From the Olympic Games

Venezuelan judoka Elvismar Rodriguez (L). Photo: X/ @VNVenezuelanews

July 24, 2024 Hour: 10:48 am

The judoka managed to remain within the top 17 in the world ranking, which qualified her for the 2024 Olympics.

On Tuesday, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil rejected the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to not allow judoka Elvismar Rodriguez to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“The reckless stance of international organizations disregards the prerogatives of a high-performance athlete, which should not be subject to prejudices and/or the ups and downs of high international sports authorities,” he said.

On June 26, the Venezuelan athlete did not attend three mandatory anti-doping tests. As a result, the International Judo Federation (IJF) sanctioned Rodriguez with a two-year suspension, thus excluding her from Paris 2024.

The judoka appealed her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which validated her appeal on July 16. However, her participation in the Olympic Games was denied pending a final decision on her case. The Venezuelan Olympic Committee (VOC) considered the decision to exclude Elvismar Rodriguez from the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games an injustice.

¡BRONCE! ¡BRONCE! ¡BRONCE!

Elvismar Rodríguez palanquea a la brasileña Luana Oliveira para ganar la medalla de bronce en los -70kg del judo en los Juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023.

🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/4i3Eo0tDmq
— Fevejudo (@FVJudo) October 29, 2023

The text reads, “Bronze, bronze, bronze! Elvismar Rodriguez leverages the Brazilian Luana Oliveira to win the bronze medal in the 70kg judo category at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.”

“The athlete and her lawyer were able to demonstrate that for many years Rodriguez has been an athlete who has never used any substances. For justifiable and verifiable reasons, she was unable to be present at the three tests… By accepting the appeal, the CAS made it clear to the International Judo Federation that it must restore Elvismar’s earned rights and reinstate her spot,” the VOC said.

Rodriguez participated in the Abu Dhabi World Championship in the 70-kilogram category and managed to remain within the top 17 in the world ranking, “which automatically qualified her for the Paris Olympics,” outlet El Nacional recalled.

“We express solidarity with our judoka Elvismar Rodriguez and demand that the International Olympic Committee intervene and ensure the fulfillment of the sports rights granted by the Olympic spot, as well as the responsibilities of the International Federations in promoting integrity and transparency in sports practice,” the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister stressed.

In the Paris 2024 Olympics, Venezuela will participate with a delegation of 32 athletes, among whom Yulimar Rojas will also be absent due to an injury.