The Winter Paralympics are under threat of a significant boycott after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided to invite 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Milano Cortina. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the decision as 'dirty' and 'not respectable', while Italy's foreign minister and the UK's culture secretary have also voiced strong opposition.
The opening ceremony, scheduled for Friday in Verona Arena, is now at the centre of the controversy. Ukraine will send no athletes or officials, and several other nations including the Netherlands, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland are expected to join a boycott. Great Britain will not boycott but will have reduced representation due to scheduling conflicts, with athletes competing in alpine skiing 150 miles away the following morning.
IPC President Andrew Parsons has been trying to ease tensions, expressing hope that the ceremony will not be 'politicised'. However, he admitted to being 'deeply disappointed' by the possibility of a boycott. The IPC reinstated Russian and Belarusian participation after a 2022 ban was lifted following a vote by member countries last year, citing a desire to separate politics from sport.
The decision was forced by a Russian appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which compelled the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to comply. Among those invited are three-time Paralympic champion Alexey Bugaev and cross-country skiers Ivan Golubkov and Anastasiia Bagiian. The European commissioner for sport has announced he will boycott the opening ceremony in protest.
