Lhe 2022 Paralympic Games open in Beijing as Ukraine is at war. Under pressure from the international community, the Paralympic Committee excluded Russian and Belarusian athletes, many of whom were already there due to the health bubble. This competition is also undermined by tensions between athletes and threats of boycotts. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, carried out with the cooperation of Belarus, has already led to Russia’s exclusion from numerous sports competitions, including the 2022 World Cup, following an appeal by the International Olympic Committee ( IOC).
These Paralympics, which are held from March 4 to 13, contrast greatly with the Olympic Games a few weeks ago. The Russians, many and applauded (although participating under a neutral banner because of doping-related sanctions), marched in front of their president, Vladimir Putin, guest of honor of the Chinese Xi Jinping, who will be alone for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics.
Sanctioned for several years for institutionalized doping, Russia cannot send athletes to compete under its flag in major international competitions. Russian leaders cannot theoretically attend these events, except at the invitation of the head of state of the host country… which Xi Jinping had done for Vladimir Putin. The two countries had published a joint statement on this occasion, which had sealed a level of friendship never reached and expressed their common position once morest NATO and American influence in Asia-Pacific. The daily New York Times also claims that China had asked Russia to delay its invasion until the end of the Olympics on February 20. Allegations firmly denied by Beijing.
” A shame “
The IPC first announced on Wednesday that Russian and Belarusian athletes might participate in the Games, but under a “neutral” banner. But faced with pressure from many countries, the organization finally reversed its position less than 24 hours later and announced the exclusion of the representatives of Moscow and Minsk. A reversal justified by the fact that “teams and athletes threaten not to participate”. “The situation in the athletes’ village is deteriorating and guaranteeing their safety has become impossible”, explained Andrew Parsons, the president of the IPC. A heartbreak for an international organization which says it has always advocated inclusion and the rejection of all political influence in sport.
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If the Paralympic committees of many countries have approved this new position, Moscow denounced “a monstrous situation” and “a shame”, promising to take sports justice. In China, host country of the Games, Internet users were divided. “Why weren’t American athletes excluded when the United States invaded Iraq and Afghanistan? asks a user of the Weibo social network. Conversely, “those who start a war during the Olympic truce must be severely punished,” wrote another.
Sanitary bubble
After a difficult journey by coach through Europe, the Ukrainian delegation arrived on Wednesday by plane in Beijing, where it received countless messages of solidarity. “It’s a miracle that we arrived,” said Valeriy Sushkevych, president of the national Paralympic committee. “Our presence at the Paralympics is not insignificant. It is a symbol that Ukraine was, is and will remain a country,” he said. The departure of the excluded athletes should be synonymous with a calmer atmosphere for the Paralympics, a time threatened by boycotts by teams opposed to the Russian presence.
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In total, the event brings together 564 athletes from around forty countries, who will compete on Saturday in six sports (biathlon, wheelchair curling, sledge hockey, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding). Like the Olympics, the meeting takes place in a health bubble to avoid a leak of the coronavirus elsewhere in China – the fear of the authorities, who apply a zero Covid strategy.