The Ukrainian Paralympic team will boycott the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games due to the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the competition without a qualification process.
This is stated in a statement by the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine.
They noted that Russian representatives were given "the maximum number of slots for participation" and the opportunity to demonstrate their political attributes — the flag and anthem.
"Many countries around the world applied for additional slots for the participation of their young athletes and to begin the development of winter Paralympic sports in their countries, but contrary to the regulations for the distribution of these slots, IPC decided to provide the largest number of slots to Russia," the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee emphasized.
They believe that this decision is of a political nature, as it completely contradicts the principles of allocating slots for participation in the Paralympics.
Therefore, the Ukrainian Paralympic team and the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine will boycott the opening ceremony of the XIV Winter Paralympic Games, and also demand that the Ukrainian flag not be used there.
At the same time, Ukraine will not miss the competitive part of the Paralympics — the Games will be held from March 6 to 15.
"We will fight for the sporting victories of Ukrainian athletes at the Winter Paralympic Games, and together with athletes from other countries, we will strive for the principles of justice in Paralympic sports," the statement added.
- Russia and Belarus were suspended from the Paralympic Games after Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A partial ban was introduced in 2023, allowing athletes to compete in neutral status.
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