Ukrainian competitors will boycott the Milano Cortina Paralympics opening ceremony on March 6 in Verona, its committee announced Friday. The decision stems from the authorization of some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete with their national flags.
The International Paralympic Committee's allocation of 10 combined slots to Russian and Belarusian athletes has ignited a political controversy surrounding the upcoming Games, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Russia, largely excluded from international sports due to the war, argues against mixing sport and politics and deems targeting disabled athletes offensive.
"The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine declares that the Ukrainian Paralympic team and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine are boycotting the opening ceremony of the 14th Winter Paralympic Games and demand that the Ukrainian flag not be used at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics-2026," the Ukrainian committee stated.
This follows the disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych for wearing a helmet commemorating athletes killed in the war.
Ukraine's Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi indicated that while Ukrainian officials will boycott the March 6-15 Paralympics, the nation's athletes will still participate.
Russia is set to have two spots in Para alpine skiing, two in cross-country skiing, and two in snowboarding. Belarus has been awarded four places, all in cross-country skiing.
The Ukrainian statement highlighted that neither Russia nor Belarus underwent the standard qualification process for these Paralympic Games. It also referenced the status of the Russian and Belarusian Paralympic committees as countries engaged in military aggression on Ukrainian territory.