Russia to end sporting exile by competing under flag at Winter Paralympics
Russia is set to end its sporting exile by competing under the national flag at the upcoming Winter Paralympics, despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
This watershed moment marks the first time since 2014 that the country’s athletes will participate with full national identity at the event.
Six athletes from Russia and four from close ally Belarus are scheduled to take part.
However, the build-up has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding their inclusion.
Boycotts and protests
Ukrainian athletes have confirmed they will boycott Friday’s opening ceremony in Verona in protest at the decision.
Officials from a host of European nations are also expected to shun the event.
Unlike the recent Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina where compatriots competed as neutrals, these 10 athletes will represent their nations.
They will be accompanied by national flags and potentially their anthems should they win gold medals.
Legal battles regarding participation
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted its partial ban on athletes from the two nations last year.
Despite this, individual governing bodies such as the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) initially refused to lift their own sanctions.
Russia and Belarus subsequently won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) against the FIS ruling.
Consequently, the athletes received bipartite commission invitations, effectively acting as wildcard entries for the Games.
Shifting stances on neutrality
The IPC stated that the original ban from the 2022 Beijing Games was not solely due to the invasion itself.
Instead, the committee argued that Paralympic sport was being utilised to promote the military campaign at that time.
Officials have suggested there is currently less evidence of sport being used for such propaganda.
This marks a significant divergence from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has maintained that Russian athletes must compete as neutrals.
