Putin welcomes IJF retrospective award of shared world title to Tasoev after refereeing error

Russian neutral athlete Inal Tasoev, left, shares the men's over-100kg world title with France's Teddy Riner, right, after the IJF admitted a refereeing error ©Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) decision to retrospectively declare neutral athlete Inal Tasoev the joint-winner of the men’s over-100 kilograms event at the World Championships in Doha after it admitted a refereeing error.

Legendary French athlete Teddy Riner, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, had won his ninth individual world title in Qatar’s capital after Tasoev was controversially denied a point during the golden score period.

The IJF has effectively acknowledged Russian athlete Tasoev, permitted to compete as a neutral despite the war in Ukraine, should have won the final and decided to award gold medals to both judokas.

“Following a thorough expert analysis, according to the current refereeing rules, a score could have been awarded for Inal Tasoev’s counterattack,” the IJF said.

“Therefore, the International Judo Federation declares both athletes as the winners of the contest and award a gold medal and the corresponding ranking points to Inal Tasoev.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a black belt in judo who was Honorary President of the IJF before being removed from the position last year after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, welcomed the decision.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the IJF's decision shows — Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed the IJF’s decision shows “everything is fair with them” ©Getty Images

“I watched,” Putin said on a visit to a new Martial Artis Academy at the Sirius Science and Art Park near Sochi, as reported by Russian state-run news agency TASS.

“To be honest, I was disappointed [with the initial decision] – how could it be.

“This will raise the prestige of the International Federation, because it means that everything is fair with them.

“And this is extremely important in sports.”

Putin had congratulated the other Russian athlete who took gold at the World Championships – Arman Adamian in the men’s under-100kg – for his success last month.

Russian and Belarusian athletes’ presence at the World Judo Championships had proved controversial, prompting a boycott from Ukraine.

Tasoev had been among the most disputed of the entrants from Russia and Belarus, having previously won a gold medal at the Military World Games.

The IJF said independent background checks had been conducted on athletes to ensure no public support for the war, with eight support staff denied participation having failed this process.

IJF President Marius Vizer has claimed its stance on Russia and Belarus protected “the life of people on both sides” ©IJF

It was initially one of the few International Federations who permitted Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, contrary to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations at the time.

Wait, What Happened in the Manifest Series Finale?

Photo: Netflix

Warning: Deep spoilers for Manifest season four, part two, lie ahead.

The wild ride that is the mystery drama Manifest ends with its final ten episodes on Netflix and, not surprising anyone who’s watched the series, things only get wilder as it draws to a close. The second half of season four sees the passengers of the ill-fated Flight 828 — which disappeared for five and a half years back in 2013 before returning with everyone intact, albeit now with the ability to receive “callings” about the future (which actually turn out to be memories, IT’S FINE) — facing down the apocalypse. The passengers, led by sibling-duo Ben and Michaela Stone, learned some time ago that on June 4, 2024, they would all be judged as a group by a divine being, and if the good didn’t outweigh the bad, not only would they all be sentenced to death, but all of humanity would be too.

When season four, part two, picks up, the passengers are just months away from that Death Date with still nary a plan for how to stop it, plus the added obstacles of a public turned against them — all 828 passengers are kept locked up in a detention center — and wannabe-archangel-of-death-but-really-just-a-psychopath Angelina on the loose and more dangerous than ever. Things get worse when Ben, in a futile attempt to stop Angelina from hurting passengers by way of the false callings she can create with the Omega Sapphire fused to her hand, winds up getting rid of the callings for every passenger except for Cal. Since the passengers were counting on the good they’ve been doing through the callings to help them tip the scales of judgment in their favor, well, that’s a lot of pressure put on Cal. But wait! Things get even worse when the government issues “isolation protocol” and basically just locks everyone inside the detention center and leaves them to die. Thankfully, the passengers get an assist from Drea — pregnant with Jared’s baby no less, which is awkward since Jared and Mick have decided the end of the world is the perfect time to try dating again — who drills them an escape route. The day before the Death Date, volcanoes are popping up all over the world and Cal’s calling leads the main crew out to a very familiar location, where he disappears into the Glow and the stage is set for the final showdown between the passengers and whatever divine being has been pulling the strings all along.

If you’re reading this and you’ve never watched one minute of Manifest, you must be like “WHAT,” and what I want to say to you, sincerely, is “exactly.” Even if you are a longtime fan of Manifest, you must read that quick summary back and wonder what the hell is happening on this show. I didn’t even get into sapphires or the Divine Consciousness or the Glow! The goddess Ma’at? I don’t know her! Manifest is a cuckoo show that only gets more cuckoo with each development — it is endearing that way. And because it is a show that can be, well, a lot, it might be best to experience its conclusion with a friend. Someone who, as the series offers up its final set of conflicts and answers and some of its most bonkers moments yet, understands the inclination to yell, Wait, what? at the TV screen. So, why not walk through some of the wildest moments of Manifest’s final episode together? After all, we’re all on the same lifeboat.