Russian, Belarusian Athletes Banned from Winter Paralympics
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, the International Paralympic Committee said Thursday.
The about-face comes less than 24 hours after the IPC on Wednesday announced it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete when the Games open on Friday, but only as neutral athletes with colors, flags and other national symbols removed.
The IPC received immediate criticism for its initial decision. The IPC said it was evident that many athletes would refuse to compete against Russians or Belarusians, creating chaos for the Paralympics and damaging its reputation.
IPC President Andrew Parsons, in announcing the initial measures Wednesday in a Beijing news conference, sympathized openly with the Ukrainian people but said his actions were constrained by his organization's rules and the fear of legal action.
The IPC now joins sports like football, wrestling, basketball, hockey and others that have imposed blanket bans on Russians and Belarusians.
Russia was expected to have 71 athletes competing in Beijing. It was not immediately clear how many Belarusian athletes were involved. Ukraine has said it would have 20.
The Winter Paralympics open Friday and close on March 13.
