{"id":1805751,"date":"2026-03-04T05:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T02:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1805751"},"modified":"2026-03-04T05:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T02:08:14","slug":"several-nations-to-boycott-milan-cortina-2026-paralympics-opening-ceremony-over-russian-belarusian-participation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1805751","title":{"rendered":"Several Nations to Boycott Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympics Opening Ceremony Over Russian &amp; Belarusian Participation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_248389\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-248389\" style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-248389 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFdAQMAAACpS04MAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20ND6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC4M25tAAGl0PnYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"Milan Olympics\" width=\"640\" height=\"349\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=640%2C349&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=300%2C163&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=1200%2C654&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=768%2C419&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=1536%2C837&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1116&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=600%2C327&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"349\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-248389 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/5FC7070C-C8C2-431A-94CE-576F69F41D6D-min-e1772600563566.jpeg?resize=640%2C349&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Milan Olympics\" width=\"640\" height=\"349\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-248389\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The logos for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Milan Paralympics. Milan Cortina will be the host for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics | Picture: Olympics Website<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-63709491\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-63709491\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-15891869\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-15891869\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Days out from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympics, controversy is threatening to overshadow the start of the Games.<\/strong> Germany\u2019s Paralympic Committee announced today, March 3, it will boycott the opening ceremony, joining a growing list of countries protesting the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes under their own flags.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/ioc-reaffirms-ban-for-russian-teams-for-2026-winter-olympics\/\">IOC Reaffirms Ban for Russian Teams for 2026 Winter Olympics<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) allocated ten combined slots to Russian and Belarusian competitors, allowing them to take part in the Games from March 6 to 15 under their national flags and anthems.<\/strong> The decision, made in September 2025, has sparked a political storm against the backdrop of Russia\u2019s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_362212\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-362212\" style=\"width: 1329px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-362212 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAExAQMAAADWfYEtAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAC9JREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIB7A2CBAAGy3FiuAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"305\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_0108.jpeg?resize=640%2C305&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_0108.jpeg?w=1329&amp;ssl=1 1329w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_0108.jpeg?resize=300%2C143&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_0108.jpeg?resize=1200%2C572&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_0108.jpeg?resize=768%2C366&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_0108.jpeg?resize=600%2C286&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"305\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-362212\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_0108.jpeg?resize=640%2C305&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"305\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-362212\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Russian athletes were not allowed to compete under the Russian flag at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina but some competed as Independent Neutral Athletes (AIN). | Image: SnowBrains<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Germany\u2019s Disabled Sports Association (DBS) said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dbs-npc.de\/mailand-news\/paralympics-2026-eroeffnungsfeier-und-wildcard-vergabe-positionierung-des-deutschen-behindertensportverbandes.html\">press release<\/a> that it would not send athletes or officials to the amphitheater in Verona.<\/strong> The decision was made to balance preparation for competitions with a respectful demonstration of solidarity toward the Ukrainian delegation. DBS president Hans-J\u00f6rg Michels had initially opposed a boycott, warning it \u201cbasically does nothing for the sport.\u201d The sudden reversal highlights the strength of feeling over the IPC\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cThe Paralympic athletes stand for courage, determination and overcoming challenges \u2014 and they inspire people worldwide,\u201d the statement read. <\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cEspecially in challenging times, it remains our common task to live the Paralympic values visibly and to resolutely protect the integrity of the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Ukraine confirmed last week it will skip the ceremony, and Finland has also followed suit.<\/strong> The Czech Republic initially cited competition schedules but has reversed its position to officially join the boycott. Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, and the Netherlands have also signaled they will not attend. Canada and Great Britain are skipping the ceremony for practical reasons\u2014Alpine skiing events begin the following day in Cortina, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Verona, the host of the opening ceremony.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cThe IPC is not aware of any other nations choosing not to participate or to boycott the ceremony,\u201d said IPC Chief Brand and Communications Officer Craig Spence.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related:<a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/fis-expands-list-of-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-granted-neutral-status-after-cas-ruling\/\"><em> FIS Expands List of Russian and Belarusian Athletes Granted Neutral Status After CAS Ruling<\/em>\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Many European National Paralympic Committees, including host Italy, have expressed disagreement with the IPC\u2019s decision.<\/strong> They argue that Russian and Belarusian athletes should compete as neutrals, as they did at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For countries and athletes unable to attend in person, the Games organizers plan to film content that will be shown during the ceremony.<\/strong> \u201cWe want all of them to have strong visibility in the opening ceremony,\u201d Spence said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games will feature more than 600 athletes from over 50 countries, with events spread across three clusters: Milan, Val di Fiemme, and Cortina.<\/strong> Because of this geographic distribution, fewer athletes will attend the opening ceremony, particularly those competing the next day. Each National Paralympic Committee is encouraged to send two athletes and two officials to represent their country, while volunteers will carry all national flags during the parade.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_381610\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-381610\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-381610 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGrAQMAAABqgLQIAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T+1tB6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgDIcbAAEnbF1FAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1935.webp?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1935.webp?w=700&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1935.webp?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1935.webp?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"427\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-381610\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_1935.webp?resize=640%2C427&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"427\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-381610\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete under their respective flags at the Paralympics. | Image: Olympics<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-4-75088062\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-4-75088062\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"4\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-45648504\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-45648504\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 2 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The logos for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Milan Paralympics. Milan Cortina will be the host for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics | Picture: Olympics Website Days out from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympics, controversy is threatening to overshadow the start of the Games. Germany\u2019s Paralympic Committee announced today, March 3, it will boycott [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1805751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1805751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805751\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1805751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1805751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1805751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}