It may not take long before the Russian anthem sounds at the Winter Paralympics and the white-blue-red flag is raised to the highest. The 28-year-old Alexej Bugajew will start on Saturday in the men’s downhill (standing). And Bugajew has already won three Paralympic gold medals.
But even on Friday at the opening ceremony (8 p.m./ZDF streaming portal) in Verona’s Roman amphitheatre, Paralympic sport will hardly be able to present itself as a unifying and peace-building force, as Olympic sport already strives for with great zeal. The decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly from last September to readmit Russia and Belarus as full members of the Games despite the ongoing war in Ukraine will not be without consequences. Several countries such as Ukraine, Poland, Finland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, the Baltic states and Germany will boycott the opening ceremony.
That Russia and Belarus can participate in the Paralympics, in contrast to the Olympic Games, has to do with the respective voting procedures. At the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the 15-member Executive Committee decides, while at the IPC the General Assembly with all 211 members decides.
We are not an island; we are part of a global context
IPC President Andrew Parsons
Alongside Russia’s war of aggression, the bombardment of Iran by the USA and Israel also shakes up sport. The IOC therefore stated in a recent statement that it is concerned about disruptions to competitions around the world. And with questions arising about further possible sanctions by sports nations, it reminded of countless UN resolutions that reaffirm the autonomy of sport and the neutrality of the IOC. “They are a call to protect the sacred space of sport from the divisions of the world.”
A somewhat more sober approach seems to be taken by the IPC regarding the global upheavals. IPC President Andrew Parsons told the Spanish news agency EFE that the Paralympics cannot isolate themselves from the political effects of the conflicts. “We are not an island; we are part of a global context.” He nevertheless hopes that attention will lie on the athletes, on the message of inclusion, and on the values of Paralympic sport. It will also during the Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo be bombarded in Iran and Ukraine, despite the traditional call to the world to let weapons fall silent during Olympic and Paralympic Games. But Olympic peace has never been the paper on which it was invoked.
Parasport and World War
To be precise, Paralympic sport from the very beginning has had a great deal to do with the wars of this world. It emerged after World War II as a rehabilitation program for wounded soldiers. And especially in the warring Russia, athletes with physical impairments enjoy high esteem. Vladimir Putin received the Russian athletes, who competed under a neutral flag at the Summer Paralympics in Paris, in the Kremlin and distributed a large number of orders for merits to the Fatherland.
Similarly, the six Russian men and women who are allowed to participate in the Paralympics with all the national pomp can expect the same. Wounded from the Ukraine war are not taking part this time. But at future Paralympic Games, Russia and Ukraine, so cynically one must put it, could select the best from a large pool. Their appearances will then be of heightened political significance.
Not only is the Russian team small at the Paralympics in Italy. Belarus has only received four starting slots. When the IPC decided on the return of the two countries, the qualification phase for the Games was already in full swing. Wildcards had to be awarded. Moreover, the individual sport federations retain decision-making authority on exclusion questions. In wheelchair curling, para ice hockey, or para biathlon, Russians or Belarusians are still not allowed to participate.
Besides the political questions, the Paralympic Games are also facing very practical problems. The closure of airspaces over crisis regions makes travel difficult for many participants. Recently, athletes were reported to be stranded at Doha airport in Qatar.
The IOC recently proclaimed that sport must be “a beacon of hope,” “a force that brings the whole world together in peaceful competition.” Yet one should expect the opposite. Sport will not be able to free itself from the political sphere. IPC President Andrew Parsons is prepared for it.
