Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under a neutral flag at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will not be allowed to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies in accordance with the directives of the International Paralympic Committee.
The International Paralympic Committee banned Russia and Belarus from participating in competitions following the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, and also suspended committee membership for both countries, but athletes were allowed to compete under a neutral flag and under strict conditions.
Despite this, the International Paralympic Committee did not allow neutral Paralympic athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games scheduled in Paris this summer.
“Since the (Russian and Belarusian) athletes will participate in an individual and neutral capacity, they will not march in the opening ceremony on August 28 and will not have a flag bearer in the closing ceremony on September 8,” the International Paralympic Committee said in a statement on Wednesday.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to display anything symbolizing their nationality, from symbols to chants, if they win a gold medal.
The neutral white flag bearing the letters "NPA", which symbolizes neutral Paralympic athletes, will be raised, while the Paralympic anthem will be played in the stadium, in addition to the results of the podium finishers not being recorded on the official medal table.
The Russian Paralympic Committee considered these conditions "discriminatory."
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