Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics in Verona on 6 March, citing the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) granted 10 combined slots to Russian and Belarusian competitors, prompting political backlash.
“The community of Ukrainian Paralympians and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine are outraged by the cynical decision of the IPC to grant bipartite slots to Russia and Belarus,” the Ukrainian committee said in a statement, demanding that its flag not be displayed at the ceremony.
The Czech Paralympic Committee said it would also boycott the opening ceremony in solidarity, while some Polish officials confirmed they would stay away, calling the IPC decision “absolutely unacceptable.”
“Our representatives will not be present at the opening of the Games in Verona, we will not have a flag bearer in Cortina, and we will not be filming messages from athletes that were to be shown at the ceremony,” the Czech committee added.
Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi has previously said Ukrainian officials would boycott the entire Games, although athletes from the country will still compete between 6-15 March.
The decision follows the earlier disqualification of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who wore a helmet commemorating athletes killed in the war.
The IPC said it was in direct contact with Ukraine’s Paralympic Committee and the matter would be discussed internally.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry confirmed that the potential return of Russian and Belarusian athletes had not been discussed with the International Olympic Committee and that attention remains on the final days of the ongoing Milano Cortina Games.
Currently, a limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing as neutral independents, without national flags or anthems, while the Olympic Committees of both nations remain sanctioned.
Russia has criticised the decision, saying it is wrong to mix sport and politics and that targeting disabled athletes is offensive.
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