Russia and Belarus get combined 10 places at Milano Cortina Paralympics, says IPC
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy awards a medal of freedom on Feb 13, 2026 in Munich, Germany to Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the Olympic skeleton competition over his "helmet of remembrance" depicting athletes killed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Looking on is the racer's father and coach, Mykhailo.
PHOTO: HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
MILAN – Russia and Belarus will have a combined 10 para athletes at the March 6-15 Milano Cortina Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee said in a statement on Feb 17.
Both countries were banned from Paralympic competitions after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but regained full membership rights in the IPC after member organisations voted in September 2025 to lift their partial suspensions.
Belarus is a key staging area for the invasion.
International federations for each sport on the Paralympic Games programme had said they would maintain bans on athletes from those countries, but Russia and Belarus won an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport back in December against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
“Following the decision by IPC members at September 2025’s IPC General Assembly ... and December’s subsequent Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision... both NPCs were eligible to apply for bipartite slots through FIS for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in the sports of Para Alpine skiing, Para cross-country skiing and Para snowboard,” the IPC said in a statement.
Russia will have two spots in Para Alpine skiing, two in Para cross-country skiing and two in Para snowboard.
“NPC (National Paralympic Committee) Belarus has been awarded four slots in total, all in cross-country skiing (one male and three female),” the IPC added.
While the athletes can compete under their own flags at the Paralympics from March 6 to 15, a limited number of Russian and Belarus athletes are competing as independent neutral athletes without flags or anthems at the ongoing Milano Cortina Winter Games, with the Olympic committees of the two nations still sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.
The IPC’s decision left Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the skeleton event
“It’s absurd that they gift some quotas,” the 27-year-old, who was penalised for wanting to wear a helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed during Russia’s invasion of his country, told Reuters.
Speaking from Kiev, he added: “It’s kind of like we are accepting former soldiers to give them the opportunity to spread Russian propaganda with national flags, with national symbols. So it looks pretty insane.” REUTERS
