CORTINA D’AMPEZZO: Seven countries have decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games in protest after Russian athletes were allowed to compete under their national flag for the first time in more than a decade.
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The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recently announced that six Russian athletes and four from Belarus would be permitted to participate in the upcoming Winter Paralympics while representing their countries, instead of competing as neutral athletes. The decision has sparked criticism from several nations, particularly those in Eastern Europe.
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Russia and Belarus were barred from the 2022 Winter Paralympics following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although athletes from the two countries were later allowed to compete as neutrals at the Paris Summer Paralympics, the latest decision marks a shift in policy by allowing them to appear under their national flags.
IPC communications officer Craig Spence confirmed on Thursday that the National Paralympic Committees of Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine will not attend Friday’s opening ceremony in Verona for political reasons.
“You will have seen in the last 10 days various reports about the number of countries not attending,” Spence said at a press conference in Cortina. “Let me be clear: the nations not coming for political reasons are Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.” Spence added that the IPC respects the decision taken by those countries.
The opening ceremony will take place at the historic Verona Arena, located away from the main competition venues in Cortina, Val di Fiemme and Milan. According to the IPC, several other countries will also not send athletes to the ceremony, but for logistical and performance reasons rather than political protest.
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Canada, Great Britain, Germany and France have informed organisers that their athletes will remain near competition sites to focus on events beginning early Saturday morning, including alpine skiing.
To ensure representation, many participating nations have submitted short videos of their athletes that will be shown during the ceremony.