The Global Paralympic Committee introduced Thursday that Russian and Belarusian athletes may not be eligible to compete within the Beijing Video games — a reversal of a call made the day past.
Dealing with force from athletes and organizations concerned within the Video games following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IPC determined to head a step additional than in the beginning deliberate.
On Wednesday, the IPC mentioned the 71 athletes from Russia and 12 from Belarus would compete as impartial athletes and any medals they received would now not be counted within the medal desk.
That stance wasn’t robust sufficient for a number of teams, together with Hockey Canada, which put out a commentary past due Wednesday supporting the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s trust that Russia will have to now not compete.
“Hockey Canada vehemently disagrees with the verdict by means of the Global Paralympic Committee to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete within the 2022 Paralympics,” the commentary mentioned.
CBC’s Devin Heroux, who’s in Beijing, reported the Swiss and Norweigian curling groups had been discussing the potential of becoming a member of opposite numbers from Latvia and Korea in saying they wouldn’t compete in opposition to Russian athletes.
Beneath the unique plan, as an alternative of competing beneath their house nation’s flag, each and every of the athletes was once to take action beneath the Paralympic flag, and they might had been ordered to hide any flags or trademarks on their uniforms that known them as being from Russia or Belarus, which has supported the invasion.
The unique movements taken by means of the IPC’s govt board, which is chargeable for organizing the Video games, had been in large part very similar to the ones already in position in opposition to Russia after its intensive state-sponsored doping scheme. All through the latest Wintry weather Video games, athletes from Russia competed beneath the banner of ROC, representing the Russian Olympic Committee.
The IPC’s unique ruling was once much less serious than the ones levied by means of different sports activities organizations this week. FIFA, the governing frame for football, and the Global Ice Hockey Federation each suspended Russian groups till additional understand, whilst home leagues such because the NHL halted all trade relationships with Russian corporations.
FIFA, just like the IPC, went with a extra serious ruling lower than 48 hours after opening the door for Russians to compete.
Twenty athletes from Ukraine are slated to compete within the Video games, which start Friday with the Opening Rite.
