Russian athletes are competing in the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games under their own flag for the first time since 2014, winning the country's initial medals.
This return to the podium signifies a major step after Russia's prolonged absence from international sporting events. The nation faced bans in 2016 due to a state-sponsored doping scheme and again in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions led to the suspension of Russian national teams and clubs from numerous competitions.
On Saturday, Russian para alpine skiers Varvara Voronchikhina and Aleksei Bugaev secured two bronze medals in the women's and men's downhill standing competitions.
The International Paralympic Committee granted wildcard entries to Russia's six athletes, a decision that drew criticism from Ukraine and other nations.