The Russian flag was flown at the Winter Paralympic Games opening ceremony in Verona, an act that was met largely by silence. The Games got under way with an opening ceremony. The event combined dance, music and visual art, celebrating the Paralympic movement.
The ceremony stressed the importance of physical access for people with disabilities. It took place in a Roman amphitheatre made accessible just for the event. The eyes of the crowd and a global audience were on the parade of athletes passing into the Arena di Verona.
Muted Response to Russian Athletes
As many as half the 56 competing countries chose not to send athletes to the ceremony. Some countries protested, while others prepared for the Games. All flags were carried by local volunteers. Each country was welcomed warmly onto the stage.
When four Russian athletes emerged, there was noise only from the Russian delegation, who cheered and waved flags. When volunteers carrying the flag of Ukraine entered the arena shortly after, the applause was loud and widespread.
IPC President Addresses Global Conflicts
Since the assembly of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) voted to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition last year, controversy around these Games has been inevitable. Earlier in the day, the president of the IPC, Andrew Parsons, acknowledged the impact of another global conflict. The assault on Iran by the US and Israel had left the country’s solitary winter Paralympian, cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, unable to safely leave his country.
At the last Winter Games in Beijing, Parsons used his opening address to make an impassioned call for peace in the direct aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In Verona, he sought to avoid politics. “Four years ago I said I was horrified at what was happening in the world. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved,” he said.
“In a world where countries are better known by the names of their leaders, I prefer to know countries by the names of their athletes. Sport offers another perspective. Here athletes compete with ferocity but respect for each other and the rules of the sport.”
Ukrainian Boycott and Strong Words
Seven countries officially boycotted the ceremony, including Ukraine, whose athletes instead took part in a telecast with the state broadcaster in Kyiv. Valeriy Shushkevych, the president of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, said his team could not attend an event he felt was acting as Russian propaganda.
“The Russian flag is a flag with blood. It should not go up, it should go down,” he said, promising a committed performance from his athletes when they enter competition. “The spirit in our team is strong. I talk with my team every day and they are all concentrating on performing.
The assembly of the International Paralympic Committee voted to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition last year.