Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes are set to compete under their national flags at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, marking a significant and controversial shift in international Paralympic sport policy.
In September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) officially lifted its blanket ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus. The two nations had originally been suspended from Paralympic competition following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Belarus widely regarded as a close ally of Moscow. In 2023, the IPC introduced a partial reinstatement, allowing athletes from both countries to participate only as neutral competitors, without national symbols or flags.
However, recent developments have altered that position.
Although the IPC lifted its ban, the four individual international federations responsible for the six winter sports contested at the Paralympics initially chose to maintain their own suspensions on Russian and Belarusian participation. This created a complex governance situation, with differing positions between the IPC and sport-specific governing bodies.
The turning point came in December when Russia and Belarus successfully appealed against International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The ruling permitted athletes from both countries to return to international competition in skiing and snowboarding disciplines and accumulate ranking points — a crucial requirement for Paralympic qualification.
Following that legal victory, the IPC confirmed that 10 athletes — six representing Russia and four representing Belarus — have been granted bipartite commission invitations for the Milan-Cortina Games. These invitations apply to events in Para-alpine skiing, Para-cross country skiing, and Para-snowboarding.
According to an official IPC statement, the Russian Paralympic Committee (NPC Russia) has been awarded six slots: one male and one female athlete in Para-alpine skiing, one male and one female in Para-cross country skiing, and two male athletes in Para-snowboard. Meanwhile, the Belarusian Paralympic Committee (NPC Belarus) has been allocated four slots, all in Para-cross country skiing — one male and three female competitors.
Bipartite commission invitations are typically granted to individual athletes rather than federations. They are designed to allow participation by top-level competitors who may not have been able to qualify through standard ranking pathways due to exceptional or extraordinary circumstances. Ukraine has also been awarded bipartite slots in three sports.
The decision has sparked strong criticism from Ukrainian officials and British politicians.
Ukraine’s Sports Minister, Matvii Bidnyi, described the move as “both disappointing and outrageous.” In a statement posted on social media platform X, Bidnyi argued that the Russian and Belarusian flags have no place at international sporting events that promote fairness, integrity, and respect.
He further stated that when the Russian flag is displayed on the global stage, it becomes part of a broader propaganda narrative, potentially normalizing the ongoing conflict. According to Bidnyi, allowing these athletes to compete under national symbols sends the wrong message at a time when Ukraine continues to face the consequences of war.
In the United Kingdom, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also voiced opposition. Writing on X, she called the decision “completely the wrong choice,” arguing that permitting athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their own flags while hostilities continue undermines international solidarity with Ukraine. Nandy urged the IPC to reconsider its position.
The issue is particularly significant given the history of Russian participation in Paralympic competition. The Milan-Cortina Games will mark the first time the Russian flag has been flown at a Paralympics since the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics. Russia was previously barred not only because of the invasion of Ukraine but also due to revelations of a state-sponsored doping programme that led to widespread suspensions across Olympic and Paralympic sport.
According to Russian state news agency TASS, several high-profile athletes are among those preparing to compete. These include Aleksey Bugaev, a three-time Paralympic champion in alpine skiing, as well as cross-country skiers Ivan Golubkov and Anastasiia Bagiian, both World Championship medallists.
All three returned to international competition in January following the CAS ruling. Bugaev and Bagiian have since claimed World Cup victories, strengthening their credentials as medal contenders in Milan-Cortina.
The IPC maintains that its decisions are guided by principles of athlete inclusion and competitive fairness. By granting bipartite invitations, it argues that elite Paralympians who have trained and competed at the highest level should not automatically be excluded due to broader geopolitical circumstances — especially when governing bodies and legal rulings have cleared pathways for participation.
Nevertheless, critics contend that sport cannot be fully separated from politics, particularly in the context of ongoing conflict. They argue that the visibility of national symbols on an international stage carries symbolic weight far beyond athletic performance.
The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics are scheduled to take place from 6 to 15 March, immediately following the Olympic Games in Italy. As preparations intensify, the debate surrounding participation under national flags continues to cast a shadow over what is meant to be a celebration of resilience, inclusion, and sporting excellence.
The controversy underscores the delicate balance international sports organizations must strike between upholding universal access to competition and responding to geopolitical realities. With global attention focused on Milan-Cortina, the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under their national banners is certain to remain a focal point throughout the Games.
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