World Champion of 2017, Serbian athlete Nemanja Majdov announced on social media that he has been suspended for five months by the International Judo Federation (IJF) for making the sign of the cross before his match at the Paris Olympic Games.
Majdov crossed himself prior to stepping onto the mat. He was declared defeated in his match against a Greek opponent in the Round of 16 after three rule violations.
The 28-year-old Majdov claimed a silver medal in the under-90 kg category at the World Championship in Abu Dhabi (UAE) this past May, losing to Japan's Goki Tajima in the final bout. Moreover, Nemanja is also the 2023 European champion.