Winter Paralympics: Russian and Belarusian athletes cleared to compete as neutrals in Beijing
- International Paralympic Committee says athletes from both countries must compete under Paralympic flag, and will not be included in medal table
- Opening ceremony could be muted affair as Games take place against backdrop of Ukraine invasion
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Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete as neutrals at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said after meeting in Beijing on Wednesday.
In a statement, the IPC said athletes from both countries must compete under the Paralympic flag and will not be included in the medal table.
Beijing’s Winter Paralympics open on Friday under the shadow of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and a growing list of sporting federations that have banned Russian athletes and cancelled events.
The IPC said it was united in its condemnation of the governments of Russia and Belarus for breaching the UN resolution in the week leading up to the opening of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The Board was also in agreement that the breach of the truce could not go unpunished.
“In deciding what action to take, the Board was guided by the IPC’s core principles, which include a commitment to political neutrality and impartiality, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of sport.
“These are key components of the new IPC Constitution that was approved at the 2021 IPC General Assembly held just over three months ago.”
As the first city to host both Summer and Winter Games, the National Stadium – known as the Bird’s Nest – will once again light up for an opening ceremony to welcome hundreds of athletes from all over the world.
Friday’s celebrations could be muted, with the lead-up to the Games dogged by controversy as the world reacts with alarm to Russia invading Ukraine.
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Much of the sports world has reacted with solidarity to Ukraine. Fifa kicked Russia out of the 2022 World Cup, while rugby’s world governing body banned Russia and Belarus from all international rugby events “until further notice”.
With its civilian airspace closed, half a million refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries, and Russian troops closing in on Kyiv, getting Ukraine’s Paralympians to Beijing was going to be a logistical issue.
Committee president Andrew Parsons said the IPC and wider Paralympic Movement was greatly concerned by the “gross violation” of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarusian governments in the days before the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
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“In deciding what actions the IPC should take, it was fundamental that we worked within the framework of our new constitution to remain politically neutral and within the IPC Handbook, the rules and regulations that govern the Paralympic Movement,” he said.
“Such neutrality is firmly anchored in the genuine belief that sport holds the transformative power to overcome our shortcomings, and summon from within us the best of our humanity, especially in the darkest of moments.
“What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules. Post-Beijing 2022, we will also take measures with our 206 member organisations to determine whether any breaches of the Olympic Truce for future Paralympic Games could lead to the possible suspension or termination of an NPC.”
By late Tuesday, the country’s National Sports Committee for the Disabled confirmed its full team of 20 athletes and nine guides were making their way to the Games.
“I hope that tomorrow, March 2, we will be in Beijing,” said Natalia Garach, communications manager for Ukraine’s team.
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The small Eastern European country has punched above its weight in previous Paralympic Winter events, with frequent podium finishes in the biathlon and ski events.
The delegation took home 22 medals in 2018 – including seven golds – gaining the sixth spot on the world tally.
For some team members, the emotional roller coaster and disrupted focus will be a case of déjà vu.
During Russia’s hosting of the Winter Paralympics in 2014, Ukrainian athletes had to grapple with Moscow’s takeover of the Crimea peninsula.
Sporting action begins on Saturday as more than 650 athletes from 49 countries compete in 78 events across six sports – ice hockey, snowboarding, biathlon, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and wheelchair curling.
Just like the Olympics last month, events will be held in a strict coronavirus bubble, and restrictions have canned public ticket sales – though hand-picked spectators sitting socially distanced can watch live at some venues.
During last month’s Winter Olympics, Beijing celebrated a record nine gold medal haul – narrowly beating out the United States.
China has consistently topped the medal tally at past Summer Paralympics.
But its first medal for the Winter Paralympics only came in 2018 – a gold in wheelchair curling – and it is hoping its largest ever team of 96 athletes will get more podium finishes this year.
China social welfare expert Xiaoyuan Shang said hosting the Paralympics again this year will build on the “positive legacies” left from the last time the Games were held in China.
That includes “making people with disabilities more confident in themselves, reducing discrimination and stigma towards people living with disabilities in China, improved accessible facilities in cities and changed social attitudes,” she told Agence France-Presse.
According to China Disabled Persons’ Federation, more than 13,000 specialised fitness centres have opened in recent years.
China has also been on an accessibility drive since November 2019 – installing wheelchair ramps, tactile paving for visually impaired people and improving public transport access.
