The International Paralympic Committee has made a controversial decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their own national flags at the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games. Although the number of athletes is drastically limited to ten individuals, this move ends a multi-year period of forced neutrality and has sparked a wave of condemnation from Ukrainian activists and some European political leaders.

End of Neutral Status

Athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete in Milan under their own national colors for the first time in over a decade.

Limited Number of Wildcards

The IPC has allocated a total of 10 spots: six for the Russian Paralympic Committee and four for Belarus.

Protests from the Ukrainian Side

The head of the Ukrainian committee, Valeriy Sushkevych, condemned the decision, considering it an insult to the victims of the war that began in 2022.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that during the upcoming Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, representatives of Russia and Belarus will be able to compete under their national flags. This decision marks a departure from the previous neutrality policy, which has been in place since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A total of ten spots have been allocated: six for Russians and four for Belarusians. These athletes have received so-called wildcards, and their participation will involve full ceremony, including the playing of national anthems if they win gold medals. The Ukrainian response was immediate and decisive. Valeriy Sushkevych, Chairman of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, expressed deep outrage, calling this move unacceptable in light of the ongoing conflict. Many European politicians share this view, believing that restoring the national symbols of the aggressor on the international stage is premature. Meanwhile, Johan Eliasch, President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), admitted that the decision-making process was extremely difficult and caused numerous divisions within the organization. It is worth noting that this situation contrasts with the arrangements for the ongoing Olympic Games, where Russians still compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN). Since 2014, following the revelation of the doping scandal during the Sochi Games, Russian athletes have repeatedly lost the right to compete under their own flag. These sanctions were tightened after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leading to almost complete isolation of Russia in the world of sports. Experts indicate that the IPC's move may signal the full rehabilitation of Russia in sports structures ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. However, IPC representatives such as Craig Spence argue that these athletes should be treated equally with representatives of other countries, provided they meet the requirements of not actively supporting the war. Among the qualified athletes is the decorated alpine skier Alexey Bugaev. Meanwhile, the Swiss team has been weakened by the injury of Romy Tschopp, showing that the sporting emotions in Milan will be a mix of high politics and individual athlete dramas. „I am very, very angry and outraged by the decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under their national flag.” — Valeriy Sushkevych10 — athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under their own flagsNumber of Allocated Spots for Paralympics 2026: Russia: 6, Belarus: 4Status of Russian and Belarusian Athletes: National symbols (flag/anthem): Banned (neutral status) → Allowed at Paralympics; Number of athletes (winter): None (total ban 2022) → 10 people (wildcards)

Mentioned People

  • Valeriy Sushkevych — Chairman of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, a vocal critic of the IPC decision.
  • Johan Eliasch — President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
  • Alexey Bugaev — Russian alpine skier with numerous Paralympic medals to his name.
  • Romy Tschopp — Swiss para-snowboarder who will not compete at the Games due to injury.