The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics started on Friday with an opening ceremony marked by Russian athletes being booed as they paraded behind their national flag for the first time since 2014.
Despite Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee has allowed six Russian athletes and four from their allies Belarus to represent their countries, accompanied by their national flags, rather than competing as neutrals.
The move sparked a major backlash with Ukraine, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland all boycotting the ceremony in the historic Verona Arena.
IPC president Andrew Parsons justified the decision by citing the vote taken by the organisation’s General Assembly last September, in favour of Russia and Belarus returning under their flags for the first time since 2014.
With war now also raging in the Middle East, it was the third time in four editions that the Winter Paralympics have opened with a conflict having started in the days preceding the Games.
“Four years ago, I said I was horrified at what was happening in the world,” Parsons said during the opening ceremony.
“Unfortunately, the situation has not changed. In a world where some countries are better known by the names of their leaders, I prefer to know countries by the names of their athletes.”
In the presence of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Italian President Sergio Mattarella, the ceremony started with a drumming performance from Stewart Copeland of The Police.
After a stripped-back performance of the national anthem of Italy, the athletes parade got under way flanked by volunteers.
Most nations boasted no more than two athletes during the parade, while videos were also displayed on stage of some members of certain delegations that were unable to attend due to sporting action in the Games starting at 0830 GMT on Saturday.
The Russian delegation of four athletes was booed by sections of the spectators, as well as some volunteers in the arena.
The boycotting nations were represented by two volunteers carrying the countries’ flags but no athletes or dignitaries paraded with them.
The sight of the Ukrainian flag was greeted by a long round of applause in the arena.
– ‘Message of peace’ –
In his speech, the president of the local organising committee Giovanni Malago said: “The message of peace, inclusion, and solidarity at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movement is more meaningful and more important than ever.”
The Paralympics follow the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics that closed on February 22.
As Russia returns to competition under its own colours and with the US and Israel beginning their war on Iran during the Olympic truce period, the fear of many is that the extraordinary feats and stories of over 600 athletes could be lost on the 50th anniversary of the Paralympics.
The IPC announced earlier on Friday that Iran’s sole competitor, Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, had been forced to pull out of the Games due to the ongoing war.
“It is really disappointing for world sport and especially for Aboulfazl that he is unable to travel safely to compete at his third Paralympic Winter Games,” Parsons said in a statement.
Athletes will compete in six different sports spread across three sites, in the north of Italy, until March 15.
The Dolomite ski resort of Cortina will play host to most of the action as it welcomes the wheelchair curling, para alpine skiing and para snowboarding.
Milan’s Santagiulia Arena will be the setting for the para ice hockey, while para biathlon and para cross-country skiing events will take place in Val di Fiemme.
Once the action starts, one star to watch will be British para snowboarder Davy Zyw, who will become the first snowsport athlete with motor neurone disease to compete in a Paralympics.
Double Summer Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Parker will make her Winter Games debut when she represents Australia in the biathlon and cross-country events.
El Salvador’s cross-country skier David Chavez will make history when he becomes the first person from the Central American country to take part in a Winter Games either Olympics or Paralympics.
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