IPC lifts partial ban on Russia, Belarus athletes

MUNICH: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has lifted a partial suspension on Russia and Belarus, restoring their full membership rights and opening the way for their athletes to compete at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics in 2026.

The partial ban had been imposed after Russian attacked Ukraine in 2022.

Ukraine strongly criticised the move. Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi said those who backed the decision at the IPC’s general assembly in Seoul had betrayed “their conscience and the Olympic values.” He added that Ukraine’s participation decision would be taken collectively at a later stage.

The IPC said in a statement: “This decision means NPC Belarus and NPC Russia now regain their full rights and privileges of IPC membership. The IPC will work with the two members involved to put practical arrangements in place as soon as reasonably possible.”

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However, the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes still depends on international federations that govern the six winter sports — para Alpine skiing, para cross-country skiing, para snowboarding, para biathlon, para ice hockey and wheelchair curling — most of which have yet to lift their bans.

“The position of the host country and the organising committee is crucial, and we are already working closely on this matter,” Bidnyi said. “We call on our European partners not to allow the flag of the aggressor state to be raised while the war of aggression continues.”

The Russian Paralympic Committee welcomed the decision, calling it “fair” and an example of protecting athletes’ rights “without discrimination on national or political grounds.”

French Paralympic Committee president Marie-Amelie Le Fur noted the timing could complicate qualification. “Not all quotas have been filled. When they are re-established, this could open opportunities for the Russian and Belarusian committees, which have regained their rights,” she told AFP.

**Background**

The Russian flag has not appeared at a Paralympic Games since Sochi 2014. In 2016, the IPC suspended Russia over a doping scandal, forcing its athletes to compete under a neutral banner in Pyeongchang 2018 and Tokyo 2021. The IPC barred Russia and Belarus from the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

The partial suspension was introduced in 2023, but some athletes from both countries were allowed to compete under a neutral flag at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

The IPC’s latest decision comes just days after the International Olympic Committee approved the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Milan-Cortina 2026, provided they compete as neutrals and meet neutrality conditions.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry said it mirrored the approach taken at the Paris Games, where Russians were only allowed in individual events under a neutral flag.

For the 2026 Olympics, the size of the delegations will depend on international federations, some of which continue to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from their competitions.