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dpa
Beijing
Athletes from Russia and Belarus can compete as neutrals at the Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing despite the invasion of Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided Wednesday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had recommended sports ban athletes from the two countries altogether with the neutral option secondary “wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons.”
In a short statement, the IPC said Russia and Belarus “will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table” at the Games which open Friday and run to March 13.
IPC president Andrew Parsons said “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.
“What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules.”
Parson added he expected the neutral athletes to be treated like any other athletes at the Games regardless of how hard that might be.
Ukraine, which had requested the exclusion of Belarus and Russia, are to be represented by their full team of 20, and nine guides, in Beijing and will compete as initially planned.
Russians were already due to compete under the banner of their Paralympic committee due to previous doping sanctions.
The IPC said there will be extraordinary assembly this year “to vote on whether to make compliance with the Olympic Truce a membership requirement and whether to suspend or terminate the membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee.”
And the IPC also said it will not hold any events in Russia or Belarus “until further notice.”
Russian and Belarusian athletes meanwhile have been banned from biathlon World Cups, the governing IBU said Wednesday.
The IBU said it was following the IOC advice to exclude the athletes and would consider suspending the membership of both federations on March 17.
Previously the IBU had said only that national symbols, such as the flags and anthems, of the countries could not be used but athletes could still compete as neutrals.
Russian and Belarusian skiers said they would not want to compete in the remaining season events in Finland, from Thursday, then Estonia and Norway in these circumstances so the Wednesday’s ban makes little practical difference to the World Cup season.
Russia and Belarus are becoming increasingly isolated in the sporting world with many federations blocking their athletes from competing.
Others such as tennis and swimming will let them compete as neutrals.
Beijing
Athletes from Russia and Belarus can compete as neutrals at the Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing despite the invasion of Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided Wednesday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had recommended sports ban athletes from the two countries altogether with the neutral option secondary “wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons.”
In a short statement, the IPC said Russia and Belarus “will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table” at the Games which open Friday and run to March 13.
IPC president Andrew Parsons said “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.
“What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules.”
Parson added he expected the neutral athletes to be treated like any other athletes at the Games regardless of how hard that might be.
Ukraine, which had requested the exclusion of Belarus and Russia, are to be represented by their full team of 20, and nine guides, in Beijing and will compete as initially planned.
Russians were already due to compete under the banner of their Paralympic committee due to previous doping sanctions.
The IPC said there will be extraordinary assembly this year “to vote on whether to make compliance with the Olympic Truce a membership requirement and whether to suspend or terminate the membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee.”
And the IPC also said it will not hold any events in Russia or Belarus “until further notice.”
Russian and Belarusian athletes meanwhile have been banned from biathlon World Cups, the governing IBU said Wednesday.
The IBU said it was following the IOC advice to exclude the athletes and would consider suspending the membership of both federations on March 17.
Previously the IBU had said only that national symbols, such as the flags and anthems, of the countries could not be used but athletes could still compete as neutrals.
Russian and Belarusian skiers said they would not want to compete in the remaining season events in Finland, from Thursday, then Estonia and Norway in these circumstances so the Wednesday’s ban makes little practical difference to the World Cup season.
Russia and Belarus are becoming increasingly isolated in the sporting world with many federations blocking their athletes from competing.
Others such as tennis and swimming will let them compete as neutrals.
