Despite their countries not appearing on the medal table, Russian and Belarusian athletes will receive - and keep - medals during ceremonies at the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed its decision on Wednesday, just two days before the Games are set to get underway in China on Friday.
It was confirmed by IPC president Andrew Parsons that athletes from the Russian Paralympic Committee will be known as a Neutral Paralympic Athlete while Belarusians will play under the banner of Paralympic Neutral Athlete. They will compete under the respective codes of NPA and PNA.
“Their teams do not exist here, but we do believe that individual athletes who have earned their qualification to the Games have the right to compete here,” declared Parsons in a media conference following a meeting of the IPC Governing Board today in Beijing.
Russian athletes were already due to compete under a different name and logo - the RPC - at Beijing 2022 because of sanctions imposed on the country for the manipulation of anti-doping data at the Moscow Laboratory.
Parsons added that if he could vote to rule that a breach of the Olympic Truce would mean getting kicked out of the Paralympic Games, he would.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were fears that Ukrainian athletes would not be able to attend the Games in China. However, they arrived in the capital today which was lauded by the IPC's chief brand and communications officer Craig Spence.
“I think the Ukrainian delegation being here is the greatest example of human resilience we have ever seen in the Paralympic Movement,” he said. “We also always talk about challenges being opportunities and we have the world's eyes on us right now although they might not agree with the decision.
“But if we can show unity in people and use this platform to promote the fact that we can bring athletes from 48 different nations to come here and compete together in peaceful circumstances and show that when you set rules you abide by them.
“I think that sends a very strong message to the world leaders.”
Ukraine's team, made up of 20 athletes and nine guides, have arrived in Beijing from different locations in their native country. The athletes will compete in two sports - biathlon and cross-country skiing - the article stated.
Many have criticised the IPC for the decision not to implement an outright ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes - but Spence suggested that the body should not avoid their ‘moral obligations’.
The British Paralympic Association issued a statement on Monday saying it could not see how allowing Russian or Belarusian athletes to compete in Beijing was "compatible with the objectives of the Paralympic movement".
