Russian and Belarusian athletes who will reach the podium of the Paralympic events in Paris this year will not see their victories included in the medal table of the Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced on Wednesday.
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Athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete as neutral Paralympic athletes in uniforms bearing no national colors, as the IPC voted against continuing the total ban on these countries, imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Medals won will not be included in the medal table of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and if a neutral athlete wins a gold medal, the Paralympic anthem will be played
,” the IPC board of directors said in a statement. .
No opening ceremony either
“The national flags of Russia and Belarus, as well as other national symbols, including those related to the military, are strictly prohibited near any venue associated with the Paralympic Games. The national anthems of Russia and Belarus will not be played.”
Neutral athletes will not participate in the opening ceremony and will not have a flag bearer during the closing ceremony.
The athletes will also be independently verified to ensure they are not linked to the military and did not support the war in Ukraine, which Russia calls a military operation special.
Belarus was a staging ground for Russian troops and weapons during the invasion.