The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has awarded 10 wildcard spots to athletes from Russia and Belarus for the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy, scheduled for March 6-15. The IPC confirmed to news agencies that the limited number of athletes will be allowed to compete under their national flags and will be “treated like [those from] any other country.”
The decision contrasts with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which requires Russian and Belarusian athletes competing at the main Winter Olympics to do so under a neutral flag. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — which used Belarusian territory for military movements toward Kyiv — many international sports bodies initially imposed broad bans on the two countries’ teams. At the last Winter Games, Russia and Belarus faced blanket bans.
Following legal challenges and pressure, the IOC eased its stance and began permitting individual athletes to compete on a case-by-case basis, but only under the AIN (Individual Neutral Athletes) designation and without national symbols or anthems. Thirteen Russians and seven Belarusians competed under those terms at the current Winter Olympics.
The IPC lifted its suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes at its general assembly in September, leading to Tuesday’s confirmation that they may use their flags at the Paralympics. Russia received spots in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding, distributed evenly between men and women. Belarus was granted four places, all in cross-country skiing.
Sporting bodies remain divided over how to handle Russia and Belarus. Some organizations have maintained bans, while others have rescinded restrictions amid legal, political and public pressure. Russia’s Olympic Committee head has urged a full return to the Olympics by 2028. In football, Russia remains barred from World Cup and European Championship qualification, though FIFA president Gianni Infantino has urged UEFA to lift its ban. Ice hockey bans remain in place, with Moscow indicating plans to appeal. Tennis restrictions proved temporary in many cases, and only Davis Cup team competition limits persisted. World Athletics ended its ban on Russia and Belarus in 2023, and the international chess federation lifted its restrictions late last year.
The issue has reignited debate over the politicization of sport and whether it is fair to penalize athletes for their governments’ actions. That debate was highlighted at the recent Winter Olympics when Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Heraskevych was excluded after refusing to remove a commemorative helmet honoring victims of the war in Ukraine, a move the IOC said violated rules against political statements during competition. Critics argued the decision unfairly punished an athlete and raised broader questions about whether professional sport can or should be apolitical.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse