Canada against Russian inclusion

IPC members vote against a full ban, also sparing Belarus on Friday

The Canadian Paralympic Committee disagreed with the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals in next summer’s Paralympic Games in Paris.

While the IPC voted Friday to partially suspend the membership of Russia and Belarus for two years, athletes from the two countries are eligible to compete as individuals in upcoming Paralympic, world and regional championships.

Russia invaded Ukraine eight days before the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games with the support of Belarus.

“The Canadian Paralympic Committee stood behind the decision to fully suspend NPC Russia and NPC Belarus, including from participation in the Paralympic Games,” CPC president Marc-Andre Fabien said Friday in a statement.

“We continue to believe this is the right course of action to protect and defend the Paralympic values.”

The IPC completely banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio because of Russia’s doping scandal stemming from the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

The IPC then fell in line with the International Olympic Committee in allowing athletes from those countries to compete as neutrals without flag, anthem or country colours.

But the invasion of Ukraine prompted another ban on Russians and Belarusians the day before Beijing’s opening ceremony, with IPC president Andrew Parsons citing an “untenable” security situation in the athletes village and a possible boycott by other countries.

IPC members voted 74-65 (with 13 abstentions) against a full ban on Russia, and 75-56 (with 15 abstentions) against a full ban on Belarus on Friday.

Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to enter athletes in team sports in Paris.

Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to enter athletes in team sports in Paris