The partial suspension of Russia and Belarus, which has been in place since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was lifted by the International Paralympic Committee on Saturday.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games next year thanks to this decision, which was made at the IPC’s general assembly meeting in Seoul.
However, international federations that oversee competition in the six sports on the list have up until now prohibited athletes from Belarus and Russia.
Each athlete must have an active licence from their international federations for wheelchair curling, para ice hockey, para cross-country skiing, para snowboarding, para biathlon and para Alpine skiing for the 2025–2026 season in order to be eligible. Both countries are currently suspended.
The IPC General Assembly approved the partial suspension in 2023, allowing athletes from Belarus and Russia to compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games under rigorous neutrality requirements and under a neutral flag.
The Russian and Belarusian Paralympic Committees were not allowed to compete in the 2022 Beijing Games by the IPC.
Eight days after the International Olympic Committee approved the entry of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games under rigorous neutrality requirements and under a neutral flag, the IPC made its most recent judgement.
