Russia & Belarus could use own flags as ban lifted

The Winter Paralympics take place from 6-15 March with about 600 athletes competing in 79 medal events across six sports

Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete under their own flag at the Paralympics and World Para-sport events after their partial suspensions by the International Paralympic Committee were lifted.

Both countries had been suspended from Paralympic competition since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Belarus is a close ally of Russia.

But their athletes competed at the Paris Paralympics as neutrals after officials decided against a full ban and instead voted for a partial suspension in 2023.

On Saturday, IPC member organisations voted to not to maintain the sanctions on the countries at the general assembly in Seoul, and Russia and Belarus will now regain the full rights and privileges of IPC membership.

While the IPC ban has been lifted, athletes will also need individual sporting federations to lift their own bans in order to be allowed to represent their countries rather than enter as neutral competitors.

So, while the IPC decision would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags at the Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in March 2026, the bans from the international bodies that govern the six sports on the schedule in Italy would currently prevent them from doing so.

Ukraine's sports minister Matviy Bidnyi accused those who voted to lift the ban of betraying "their conscience and the Olympic values".

"We call on our European partners, who will host the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games, not to allow the flag of the aggressor state to be raised over the free and democratic space while the war of aggression continues.

He added that Ukraine's decision on whether to participate in Italy will be "made collectively at a later stage".

The UK government said it was "hugely disappointed in the IPC decision".

A spokesperson added: "Our unequivocal position remains that there should be no Russian or Belarusian state representation in international sport while the war against Ukraine continues given the breaches of the Olympic Charter.

"We will assess the implications of today's vote, and urge the IPC to consider consider the message it sends."

ParalympicsGB said in a statement that it supported the IPC motion to suspend Russia.

"However, the IPC membership made the decision to reinstate NPC Russia and we have to respect the decision of the IPC membership. We continue to express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our friends at NPC Ukraine," it added.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the upcoming Winter Olympics under a neutral flag and strict conditions, as they did at the Paris Olympics.

Confirming the return of full IPC membership rights, the Paralympic sport governing body said: "The IPC will work with the two members involved [Russia and Belarus] to put practical arrangements in place for this as soon as reasonably possible."

The Russian Paralympic Committee said it was a "fair decision".

"This is an important contribution to the development of the international Paralympic movement and an example that the rights of athletes must be protected without discrimination on national and political grounds," it said.

Russian athletes are currently competing at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi as neutrals.

At the Seoul summit, IPC member organisations voted 111-55 against a motion to fully suspend Russia with 11 abstentions, and then voted 91-77 against a motion to partially suspend the country with eight abstentions.

With regards to Belarus, members voted 119-48 against motions to fully suspend the country, with nine abstentions, and 103-63 against a partial suspension, with 10 abstentions.

Analysis - why has IPC lifted the ban?

This was a vote taken by the IPC's entire membership, and I am told that many countries felt that because the Paralympics is all about inclusion, it had become unfair to prevent innocent Para-athletes from Russia and Belarus from competing.

Some also felt that given the countries had not competed properly as nations (ie not as neutrals) since Sochi 2014, they had been sufficiently punished.

It is also worth noting that Russia had not been suspended by the IPC because it had invaded Ukraine. Rather, it was because it had used some sports events to promote the war in Ukraine, which is against the IPC's constitution.