Paralympics: Russian and Belarusian athletes banned after U-turn

There will be no athletes from Russia or Belarus at the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing after all. Less than 24 hours after the organizing body said the athletes could compete as neutrals, the decision was reversed.

A dramatic and rapid U-turn from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) means athletes from Russia and Belarus will not be able to compete at the Beijing Winter Paralympics, as sanctions for Russia's invasion of Ukraine continue to bite in the sporting world.

Less than 24 hours earlier, the IPC had said that athletes from the countries would be allowed to compete as neutrals at the Games.

But on Thursday, the IPC said it has now decided to "decline athlete entries" from the Russian Paralympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee of Belarus after other countries and athletes threatened not to compete, "jeopardizing the viability of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games," IPC President Andrew Parsons said in a statement.

Parsons later went into greater detail on threats from other countries' National Paralympic Committees (NPC) to boycott the Games in a press conference.

"They told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences for the Winter Games," Parsons said.

"Multiple NPCs, some of which have been contacted by their governments, teams and athletes, are threatening not to compete."

Games 'about sending a strong message of inclusion'

Russia had intended to send 72 athletes to Beijing, while Belarus had a team of 12. Russian athletes took part in the Olympics as the Russian Olympic Committee, but Parsons said the subsequent invasion had put the IPC in a "unique and impossible position" so close to the start of the Games on Friday.

"Athlete welfare will always be a priority for us," he said. "If Russian and Belarusian athletes stayed in Beijing, nations were likely to withdraw, and a viable Games would not have been possible.

"The atmosphere in the Games village is not pleasant. The situation there is escalating and has now become untenable ... The Games are not only about gold, silver and bronze, but also about sending a strong message of inclusion."

Parsons acknowledged that the decision may leave his organization open to legal challenges but said he was confident it was correct.

mp/mf (dpa, AP)