The Russian Fencing Federation (FFR) has dropped legal action against the International Fencing Federation's (FIE) decision to block the participation of its athletes from its competitions.

The FIE Congress last month voted to delay a decision on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes could return to competition until an Extraordinary Congress in March.

Fencers from both countries have not participated in FIE events since March because of the invasion of Ukraine, in line with International Olympic Committee recommendations.

The FFR filed a lawsuit at a Swiss civil court against this decision, but President Ilgar Mammadov revealed that it has opted to withdraw this with the matter set to be discussed again in March.

Our lawyers are withdrawing the claim,

he told Russia's official state news agency TASS.

We will not continue the lawsuit, since the next FIE Congress has passed, where a decision was made to organise an Extraordinary Congress, which should decide on the return of our athletes.

It will be held in March.

Fencing has been among the sports most impacted by the invasion of Ukraine, with FIE President Alisher Usmanov stepping aside due to European Union sanctions 

Fencing has been among the sports most impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the FIE President Alisher Usmanov, an Uzbek-born Russian oligarch, stepping aside having been sanctioned by the European Union.

Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Stanislav Pozdnyakov was voted out of office as European Fencing Confederation President at an Extraordinary Congress in June.

Russian athletes, competing under the ROC banner due to anti-doping sanctions, topped the fencing medals table at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with three golds.

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