Paralympics-IPC looking into German skiers' protest at medal ceremony

March 11 - The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is looking into a protest by German cross-country skiers during the medal ceremony for the women's sprint classic vision-impaired event won by Russia's Anastasiia Bagiian and her guide Sergei Siniakin.

Germany's silver medallists, Linn Kazmaier and Florian Baumann, turned their backs on the Russians and kept their winter hats on during the ceremony on Tuesday.

Russia and neighbour Belarus, both banned from Paralympic competitions after Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, were readmitted by the IPC last September.

The Russian team had previously been suspended from the Paralympics because of a doping scandal and last competed under their own flag when they hosted the Games at Sochi in 2014.

"With Germany, we are aware of the situation, gathering evidence and analysing it," Craig Spence, the IPC's chief brand and communications officer, said on Wednesday.

Russia have won six medals at the Milano Cortina Paralympics, including four golds.

"The medal ceremony felt completely strange," Kazmaier told German public broadcasting network ARD.

"I don't know these people: maybe they don't support the system in Russia either. Maybe they are really nice people who we could actually be friends with. But it's such a shame that politics overshadows everything.

"So we decided to keep our hats on and not turn towards the flags, because we don't support that."

Baumann was also outspoken when speaking to German public service broadcaster ZDF.

"Four years ago in Beijing, we had a great exchange with the Ukrainians. We wanted to show solidarity with them," Baumann said.

"This is not about the Russian athletes. It is also difficult for many of them right now, but I simply do not think it is right that the IPC has decided that Russia can compete here under its own flag, with its own anthem and with a full band, while the Ukrainians are also here." REUTERS