No Russians or Belarusians at Winter Paralympics
Summary
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will not take part in the 2026 Winter Paralympics, even though the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted its ban on them. The decision is because governing bodies for most of the sports at the event chose to keep their bans in place, preventing athletes from these countries from qualifying.Key Facts
- The 2026 Winter Paralympics will occur from March 6-15, with about 600 athletes competing.
- Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from participating due to decisions by sport governing bodies.
- The IPC had lifted its suspension on Russia and Belarus, allowing them to compete under their own flags.
- The International Ski and Snowboard Federation, International Biathlon Union, and World Curling upheld their bans.
- Russia and Belarus missed qualification for ice hockey because the timing of the IPC decision was too late.
- Both countries were originally banned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Belarus's alliance with Russia.
- A partial ban allowed them to compete as neutrals in 2023 before the IPC voted to lift the suspension entirely.
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