Winter Paralympics: Russian, Belarusian athletes can compete as neutrals in Beijing

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board met on Wednesday to discuss "how the breach of the Olympic Truce" by the Russian and Belarus governments is impacting the Paralympic Games and the wider Paralympic Movement.

After the meeting, the IPC decided that the RPC and NPC Belarus will participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games under the following conditions: All their athletes/support personnel will participate in an individual capacity as neutral athletes/support personnel.

They will compete under the Paralympic flag and the Paralympic anthem and will not be included in the medals table. The RPC delegation must cover the RPC symbol on their uniforms in all official ceremonies and sporting competitions and the Belarus delegation must cover the Belarus flags on their uniforms in all official ceremonies and sporting competitions

The IPC Board expressed its concerns and sympathies for Ukrainian athletes and citizens alike, and shared its delight that the full delegation of the Ukrainian Paralympic Team arrived safely in Beijing earlier on Wednesday.

The Board was also 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.

All technical officials attending the Games from Russia and Belarus will be listed as neutrals under the Paralympic flag, as will coaches from the respective countries involved with other teams.

The IPC Governing Board has also decided, both in its role as the global guardian of the Paralympic Movement and as the international federation for 10 Para sports, that it will not hold any events in Russia or Belarus until further notice. This will include World and European Championships, as well as all sanctioned-level competitions such as World Series, World Cups and Grand Prix events.

The IPC Governing Board also recommended that all Para sport international federations, Regional Organisations and IOSDs follow the same approach.

The Paralympic Honour bestowed to Vladimir Putin, President of Russia has been withdrawn.

Paralympic Orders (the highest accolade that can be presented within the Paralympic Movement) will be withdrawn from the following individuals also: Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of Sochi 2014 Organising Committee (now Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation), Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (now Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office), Oleg Syromolotov, Chief of Interagency Security Command Centre, Sochi 2014 (now Deputy Foreign Minister), and Alexander Gorovoy, Deputy Chief of Interagency Security Command Centre, Sochi 2014 (now First Deputy Interior Minister).

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: "The IPC and wider Paralympic Movement is greatly concerned by the gross violation of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments in the days prior to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The IPC Governing Board is united in its condemnation of these actions and was in agreement that they cannot go unnoticed or unaddressed."

( With inputs from ANI )