Paralympic Committee Allows Russian, Belarusian Athletes to Compete Under National Flags

• International Paralympic Committee (IPC) permits six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at the 2026 Paralympics in Milan-Cortina.
• This decision reverses a previous ban imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which had restricted them to competing as neutrals.
• The IPC confirmed to AFP that these athletes will be treated like those from any other country.
• Russia and Belarus won an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in December, allowing their athletes to accumulate ranking points.
• Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) secured six wildcards in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding, including three-time gold medallist Alexey Bugaev.