For the first time in a decade, a Russian flag appeared on a Paralympic podium as the country secured two bronze medals in the men's and women's downhill standing events at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games.
Russia had been barred from competing under its national symbols due to doping violations and the war in Ukraine. The International Paralympic Committee's decision to lift the ban for the Paralympics, despite criticism from several nations, allowed Russian athletes to compete.
Varvara Voronchikhina, 24, won bronze in the women's downhill standing event, and Aleksei Bugaev, 29, finished third in the men's race. A small contingent of Russian supporters celebrated the athletes' success.
Bugaev, a multi-medalist at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics, expressed happiness at winning his first medal since 2014. Both Voronchikhina and Bugaev stated their joy at competing under the flag again, having previously been excluded, notably from the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.
Both athletes declined to answer questions regarding Russia and the war in Ukraine. Russia has six athletes participating in the Paralympic Games, competing in skiing and snowboarding events.