The UK government is boycotting the Winter Paralympics opening and closing ceremonies. This decision comes after Russian and Belarusian athletes were invited to compete under their national flags.
Government Opposition to Russian and Belarusian Participation
The UK government has voiced strong opposition to the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision. They disagree with allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
A government spokesperson stated that the Russian and Belarusian states should not be represented in international sport while the invasion of Ukraine continues. As a result, no government ministers or officials will be present at the opening or closing ceremonies of the Paralympics.
Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock will be in Cortina to support British athletes. However, she was never scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
Nations Boycotting the Opening Ceremony
Several nations are also boycotting the opening ceremony. The IPC has been informed that athletes from Ukraine, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland will not attend.
Germany’s Paralympic Committee has announced its team will feature in a pre-recorded broadcast section of the event. They will not participate in the Parade of Nations as a show of solidarity with Ukraine.
ParalympicsGB Flagbearers Absent
Great Britain’s flagbearers, Menna Fitzpatrick and Scott Meenagh, will not be at the ceremony. They are competing the following day in Cortina.
Instead, they will participate via a video sequence, along with ParalympicsGB team-mates. This will be shown as part of the parade.
ParalympicsGB chef de mission Phil Smith said the decision not to attend was made about a year ago. This was based on the distance between the ceremony and where they are competing. He added that many nations are in a similar situation, and athletes competing the next day need to prioritise performance.
Russian Flag Returns to the Paralympics
Six athletes from Russia and four from Belarus will be directly representing their countries. This marks the first time a Russian flag has been flown at a Paralympic Games since Sochi 2014.
Sanctions were previously imposed due to a state-sponsored doping programme, and later because of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The IPC lifted its partial ban on athletes from the two countries last year.
The Games will proceed without the presence of UK government officials at the opening or closing ceremonies, as a statement against the representation of Russia and Belarus in international sport.