The Russian Paralympians who were barred from competing in the Winter Games in Beijing have returned home to a heroes' welcome.
Amid the country's invasion of Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] came under pressure to issue a blanket ban on all competitors from Russian and Belarus, a notion they initially refused, instead ruling that they could participate as neutrals.
However, that decision was widely vilified and ahead of the opening ceremony last Friday, IPC President Andrew Parsons announced the organisation had performed a u-turn and confirmed athletes from both countries would be forbidden from taking part.
