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Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete at the Winter Paralympics under their flags and with their national anthems following a decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly, its President Andrew Parsons said on Monday.
The IPC’s allocation of 10 combined slots to Russian and Belarusian athletes triggered a political storm ahead of the Games, given continuing tensions over Russia’s four-year invasion of Ukraine.
“This decision cannot be overturned by the board or by myself,” Parsons told a press conference at the Allianz Tower in Milan, Italy.
After the announcement, Ukraine said its team would boycott the Milano Cortina Paralympics opening ceremony on March 6 in Verona. The Czech Paralympic Committee made a similar announcement in solidarity with Ukraine. Some Polish officials will also stay away.
Thirteen Russian athletes are competing with neutral status at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics while a ban on the country and its ally Belarus continues, but there are signs the door could be opening for more Russian athletes to return to competition.
Parsons urged Ukrainian athletes to attend the ceremony.
“We have a message to give that is one of inclusion and diversity. We encourage them to participate, but if they don’t want to, we respect that,” he said.
Asked about the possibility that other countries might skip the opening ceremony, Parsons said the IPC had received no official communication on further withdrawals.
“What I’m afraid of is that sometimes these situations can be politicized,” he said.
Russia, which has been excluded from much of international sport due to the invasion of Ukraine, says it is wrong to mix politics and sport and that targeting disabled athletes is offensive.
Russia has been allocated two spots in Para Alpine skiing, two in cross-country skiing and two in snowboarding. Belarus received four places, all in cross-country skiing.
The Italian government disagreed with the IPC decision and urged the ruling body to reverse it.
Parsons said there was ongoing dialogue with the host nation and that the hope was to minimize the impact of differing positions while ensuring athletes were offered the best possible environment in which to compete.
The Paralympics will run from March 6 to March 15.
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