Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete as neutrals at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing following the invasion of Ukraine.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) says the two countries “will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table”.
The opening ceremony is on Friday, with competition starting on Saturday.
IPC president Andrew Parsons said the measures were the “harshest possible punishment” under its constitution.
“The IPC and wider Paralympic movement is greatly concerned by the gross violation of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments in the days prior to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games,” Parsons said.
“The IPC Governing Board is united in its condemnation of these actions and was in agreement that they cannot go unnoticed or unaddressed.
“In deciding what actions the IPC should take, it was fundamental that we worked within the framework of our new constitution to remain politically neutral.
“Such neutrality is firmly anchored in the genuine belief that sport holds the transformative power to overcome our shortcomings, and summon from within us the best of our humanity, especially in the darkest of moments.”
In all, 71 competitors from Russia and 12 from Belarus – plus guides for both nations – will now be classed as neutral athletes at the Games.
‘Choosing bloodshed and profits over principle and stakeholders’
Nadine Dorries, UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said she was “extremely disappointed” with the IPC’s decision.
“I call on them to urgently reconsider,” she said. “They must join the rest of the world in condemning this barbaric invasion by banning Russian and Belarussian athletes from competing.
“We will consider the full range of options in protest of this decision, in consultation with UK Sport and the British Paralympic Association. I will also be meeting with my international counterparts this week to discuss how we can respond collectively.”
A joint statement from the athletes of Ukraine and the Global Athlete group, an international athlete-led body that aims to inspire change in world sport, said the IPC had issued “another blow” to every Ukrainian athlete and citizen with their decision.
“The demands of the athletes have been cast aside in favour of Russian interests,” the statement said. “Sports administrators are choosing bloodshed and profits over principle and stakeholders.”
The statement acknowledged that sport cannot stop the violence, but that the IPC “could have sent a message that Russian and Belarusian actions warrant the toughest sanctions and complete isolation.
“With or without a neutral label, the Russian and Belarusian athletes will use their athletes’ participation in the Games as state propaganda.”
The US Paralympic Committee and the British Paralympic Association have also expressed disappointment in the IPC’s decision.
The British Paralympic Association said: “We, like many participating Paralympic nations, already stated that given the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine we cannot see how the participation of Russia or Belarus in the Games is compatible with the objectives of the Paralympic movement.”
‘Paralympic athletes are not the aggressors’
Russian athletes competed under a neutral Paralympic flag at the 2018 Games as punishment for state-sponsored doping.
In addition to deciding Russian and Belarussian athletes will not compete under their own flag or feature on the medal table in Beijing, the IPC also stated it will hold no events in the two countries “until further notice”.
Crucially, the IPC says it will host a vote later in 2022 to decide on whether upholding the Olympic Truce is a membership requirement. Any breach would then create a scenario where the offending nation could be suspended.
When this vote has been conducted, the IPC said it will also decide on whether to terminate the memberships of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee.
Parsons continued: “Now that this decision has been made, I expect all participating NPCs to treat the neutral athletes as they would any other athletes at these Games, no matter how difficult this may be.
“Unlike their respective governments, these Paralympic athletes and officials are not the aggressors, they are here to compete in a sport event like everybody else.”
Ukraine’s Paralympic team has arrived in Beijing and will be able to compete, less than a week after Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of the country.
In recent days a host of governing bodies from across sport have moved to introduce measures including the exclusion of Russian and Belarussian athletes from competition, the banning of use of the their flags or the cancellation of events in each country.
Ukrainian athletes, the International Olympic Committee and the British Olympic Association had called for Russians to be excluded from the event.
On Monday, Russian football clubs and national teams were suspended from all competitions by Fifa and Uefa “until further notice”.
Friday’s opening ceremony in Beijing will be used to promote “a message of peace”.
“The eyes of the world will be watching the Paralympic Winter Games in the coming days,” Parsons said.
“It is vital we show to world leaders through our sport that we can unite as human beings and that our true power is found when promoting peace, understanding and inclusion.
“This is at the core of what the Paralympic Movement does and what it stands for. We should not lose sight of this now, no matter what the circumstances.”
