UK government joins boycott of Paralympic opening ceremony over Russia, Belarus participation – The Athletic
The UK government has joined the boycott of the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony in protest against the participation of Russia and Belarus at the Games.
It was confirmed in February that Russian and Belarusian athletes would be able to compete at the Paralympics under their own flag for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Belarus’ support of it.
Ukraine’s state representatives announced the day after the decision that they would not attend the Games. Ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony at the Verona Olympic Arena, a number of other countries said they will also be absent from the opening or closing ceremonies.
A UK government spokesperson said: “We strongly oppose the decision of the International Paralympic Committee to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. We have been clear that the Russian and Belarusian states should not be represented in international sport while the barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine is ongoing.
“Therefore, no Government Ministers or officials will attend the Opening or Closing Ceremonies of the Paralympics.”
Germany’s Paralympic Committee said on Tuesday the German team would not be participating in person in the opening ceremony’s parade of nations, but would be visible at the event in pre-recorded video segments.
“This decision serves both to focus on the upcoming competitions and to respectfully express solidarity with the Ukrainian delegation,” a statement from Germany’s Paralympic Committee read. “In doing so, the team combines its sporting focus with a clearly values-based stance.”
Ukraine, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Poland all announced in February they would be boycotting the opening ceremony.
The International Paralympic Committee suspended Russia and Belarus following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 conducted with support from Belarus.
Russian athletes were also banned from the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016 because of Russia’s state-sponsored doping program, but had competed as neutral athletes at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, in Paris in 2024 and again in Milan Cortina in February.
Ukraine will still compete at the 2026 Games, with Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, telling AFP in February that not participating would allow Russian president Vladimir Putin to “claim a victory over Ukrainian Paralympians and over Ukraine”.
During last month’s Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee disqualified Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych because of his helmet that commemorated the lives of Ukrainian athletes lost since Russia’s invasion. The IOC said it broke Olympic rules on neutrality, and the decision was was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
