Chef de mission: ParalympicsGB were adamant Russia and Belarus shouldn’t compete

Chef de mission Phil Smith says ParalympicsGB were adamant Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be allowed to compete at Beijing 2022 due to the “horrific” events in Ukraine.

Athletes from those countries have been banned from the Winter Games after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) reversed its original ruling to allow them to participate under a neutral flag.

The GB team were in the process of discussing what action they would take to the governing body’s controversial initial decision when the U-turn was announced.

Ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony in the Chinese capital, team leader Smith says the British delegation stands with “our Ukrainian friends” following the ongoing invasion of their homeland.

“Clearly what’s going on in Ukraine currently is horrific and all our sympathies are with the people of Ukraine, no less so than our Ukrainian Paralympic colleagues out here in Beijing,” he told the PA news agency.

“It was ParalympicsGB’s position from the outset that we didn’t believe that Russia or Belarus should have any athletes at the Paralympic Games due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

“Obviously we were disappointed yesterday when the IPC made their initial decision and we shared that disappointment publicly and with the IPC, so we welcome the decision today to overturn their original decision and know that Belarusian and Russian athletes will not participate in Beijing 2022.

“We stand with our Ukrainian friends against the horror of what is happening in their homeland and support them at the Games.

“Their athlete delegation only arrived yesterday but we’ve continually offered our support.”

IPC president Andrew Parsons confirmed 83 athletes would now be unable to take part in the Games,