Athletes from Russia, Belarus barred from Paralympic Games as protests jeopardize 'viability', IPC says

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The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) backtracked on its original decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as "neutrals" in the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing.

The organization announced Thursday that they will no longer be allowed to participate as protests from other nations are "jeopardizing the viability" of the Games. 

The IPC issued a news release just one day after confirming that athletes from Russia, who compete under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), and Belarus would be allowed to compete but not under their flag and would also not be included in the official medal table. 

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"Multiple National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), teams and athletes now threatening not to compete, jeopardizing the viability of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games," the news release read. "Situation in the athlete villages is escalating and ensuring the safety of athletes has become untenable."

Lee Reaney, a Canadian journalist working for the Kyiv Post, holds a photo of Yevhen Malyshev, a 19-year-old former athlete on Ukraine's junior biathlon team who, according to the International Biathlon Union, died serving the Ukrainian military, as he speaks during a press conference at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.  (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

The IPC’s initial decision on Wednesday was met with harsh backlash from the sporting world, including from the Athletes of Ukraine, who accused the IPC and International Olympic Committee (IOC) of "choosing bloodshed and profits over principle" amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

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