The U-turn comes less than 24 hours after the IPC announced on Wednesday that Russian and Belarussian athletes would be allowed to compete when the Games begin.
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Russian and Belarussian athletes have been barred from competing in the Winter Paralympics due to their countries’ roles in the Ukraine conflict, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced Thursday in Beijing. The U-turn comes less than 24 hours after the IPC announced on Wednesday that Russian and Belarussian athletes would be allowed to compete when the Games begin on Friday, but only as neutral athletes with no colours, flags, or other national symbols.
The IPC was immediately slammed for its initial decision. It was called a betrayal because it sent the wrong message to Russia’s leadership. The IPC also stated that it was obvious that many athletes would refuse to compete against Russians or Belarusians, causing chaos and harming the Paralympics’ reputation.
In announcing the initial measures at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday, IPC President Andrew Parsons expressed open sympathy for the Ukrainian people, but said his actions were limited by his organization’s rules and the fear of legal action. In announcing his reversal, Parsons said almost the opposite, noting that his constituents had pushed back.
“In the last 12 hours, an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us,” Parsons said in a statement. “They have told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences.”
“What is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique and impossible position so close to the start of the Games,” he added.
The IPC has now joined sports such as football, track and field, basketball, and hockey in imposing blanket bans on Russians and Belarussians. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) pushed sports governing bodies on Monday to bar Russian and Belarussian athletes from international competitions, but it left the final decision to individual governing bodies. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been slow to sanction Russia, allowing its athletes to compete in the last four Olympics despite a state-sponsored doping scandal and cover-up in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Russia was expected to send 71 athletes to Beijing. It was uncertain how many Belarussian athletes were involved at the time. Ukraine had stated that it will have 20.
