February 18, 2026
Russia is returning to the Paralympics, and Ukrainian officials vow to boycott
The Winter Paralympics will begin on March 6 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, exactly one month after the Winter Olympics opened in the same Italian venues. For the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russian athletes will compete under their national flag and anthem. The International Paralympic Committee cleared six Russians and four Belarusians to compete, with both delegations marching under their respective national flags. The Russian delegation includes alpine skiers Alexey Bugayev and Varvara Voronchikhina, cross-country skiers Ivan Golubkov and Anastasia Bagiyan, and snowboarders Dmitry Fadeyev and Filipp Shebbo Monzer. The decision has drawn fierce condemnation from Ukraine, whose officials say they will boycott official Paralympic events.
TL;DR
- Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete under their national flags and anthems at the Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
- This marks the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games that Russian athletes will compete under their national flag.
- The decision has led to fierce condemnation from Ukraine, with officials vowing to boycott official Paralympic events.
- Previous bans on Russian athletes stemmed from systematic doping and sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.
- The IPC's decision to lift suspensions was followed by rulings that compelled individual sports federations to admit Russian athletes.
- Six Russian skiers and snowboarders have been cleared to participate, while athletes in other sports remain excluded.
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