Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete as neutrals at the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing.
“They will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table,” the International Paralympic Committee said in a statement on Wednesday following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Games begin from Friday and end on March 13.
The IPC said it would hold an extraordinary General Assembly this year to vote on whether to make compliance with the Olympic Truce a membership requirement, and whether to suspend or terminate the membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee.
IPC statement on the RPC and NPC Belarus participation at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. https://t.co/Y5yimQ3MN7
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) March 2, 2022
The IPC said it would not hold any events in Russia or Belarus until further notice.
The decision not to completely bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing is likely to draw criticism and raises the possibility of athletes from other countries boycotting the Games or staging protests.
Ukraine will send a full contingent of 20 athletes and nine guides to the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced on Tuesday https://t.co/dkmeqDmf5t
— CNN International (@cnni) March 1, 2022
-Reuters
