Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to take part in the Paralympic Games which begin Friday in Beijing, but will have to compete under a neutral flag due to their role in the invasion of Ukraine, the International Committee has said. Paralympic Games (IPC) on Wednesday.
An announcement that obviously did not please everyone.
Russian athletes were already scheduled to compete under the acronym CPR, for Russian Paralympic Committee, because of their country’s role in the institutionalized doping scandal that rocked the 2014 Sochi Games and subsequent attempts to cover up the affair.
The IPC also decreed other restrictions which will come into effect during the opening ceremony of the Games on Friday, but refused to expel them from the event. Belarus was sanctioned for its role alongside Russia in the invasion and war in Ukraine.
But there was no exclusion. And some are out of their hinges.
Ukrainian anger
During a press conference which took place in Beijing a few hours after the announcement of the decision, a journalist who said he worked for The Kyiv Post asked IPC President Andrew Parsons what he would say to the family of young biathlete Yevhen Malyshev.
Malyshev was killed this week in Ukraine, although the circumstances of his death remain mysterious. The International Biathlon Union said Wednesday that he “died this week while fighting with the Ukrainian army”.
The journalist from Kyiv PostLee Reaney, held a photo of the young man as he chatted with Parsons.
“I can’t imagine the pain his family must be feeling right now,” Parsons said. I can only express my deep sympathy for them. It’s totally unfair. It’s disgusting. It’s inhumane. »
Parsons reiterated his support for the decision not to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus, pointing out that IPC rules prohibit this. The CIP is based in Germany, and he recalled that any exclusion “would be overturned in a German court”.
“The principle of political neutrality and our sincere belief in the transformative power of sport must be our beacon, our strength or perhaps even our lifeboat,” Parsons added.
The journalist from Kyiv Post added that he is the only one from his country who was able to go to Beijing, and he again asked Parsons to explain the reasons why athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to participate in the Games Paralympics — even under a neutral banner. He repeated several times that these athletes came from “aggressor countries”.
“I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be Ukrainian right now,” said Parsons, a Brazilian. I sympathize, and I try to feel empathy. It’s difficult. My country is not at war, and my family is not hiding in the metro stations of my country’s capital. »
Not on the medal table
In addition to having to play under a neutral banner, the two countries will be excluded from the medal table, and the IPC added that it will not authorize the holding of any sporting event in these countries “as long as the current situation continues”.
“We have imposed the strongest sanctions available in our current constitution and bylaws on IPC,” IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement. In our decision-making process, it was essential that we respect our new constitutional framework in order to preserve our neutrality and our IPC mandate, as well as the regulations and laws that govern the Paralympic movement. »
In a brief communication sent on Wednesday, the IPC specifies that the athletes of these two countries involved for a week in a war with Ukraine will take part in the events under the flag of the Paralympic Games, and the Paralympic anthem.
Russian athletes will be required to cover the “CPR” symbol on their uniforms during competitions and ceremonies. The Belarusian delegation will have to cover the country’s flag on its uniforms.
An open letter from Ukrainian athletes
Meanwhile, dozens of Ukrainian athletes have written an open letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the IPC demanding the suspension of the Russian and Belarusian Olympic and Paralympic committees.
“Your inaction will send the message to every athlete and to the world that you have chosen the interests of Russia and Belarus over those of the athletes,” the letter read. Your legacy will be defined by your actions. »
Parsons acknowledged that some Paralympians might refuse to face Russian opponents. He also recalled that the CIP’s options are “limited” due to the legal procedures that could be initiated by Russia or other parties.
The IPC will nevertheless study this year the possibility of making respect for the Olympic truce a condition of membership. The Russian and Belarusian Paralympic Committees could thus face suspension.
Several Russian dignitaries sanctioned
The IPC has also indicated that it will withdraw the “Paralympic Medal of Honor” given to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The same decision was made about Dmitry Chernyshenko, the chairman of the Sochi Games Organizing Committee (who is now the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia), Dmitry Kozak, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia (who is now Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office), Oleg Syromolotov, Head of the Interagency Security Command Center for the Sochi Games (now Minister of Foreign Affairs), Alexander Gorovoy, Deputy Head of the Interagency Security Command Center (now First Deputy Minister of the Interior).
IOC President Thomas Bach will not attend the Paralympic Games and has appointed Parsons — an IOC member — to represent the organization. IOC Vice President Ser Miang Ng was due to attend but tested positive for COVID-19. He only experiences mild symptoms.
Paralympic movement leaders noted that 648 athletes and 49 delegations will compete in the Paralympic Winter Games. There were 2,900 athletes from 91 delegations at the Winter Olympics last month.
The leaders specified that 71 Russian athletes must participate in the Paralympic Games, and 20 others from Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to arrive in China in time for the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday. The Paralympic Games will end on March 13.