Russia and Belarus Paralympic decision ‘not easy’

Russia and Belarus Paralympic decision ‘not easy’Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Russian flag has not been flown at a Paralympic Games since 2014ByKatie FalkinghamBBC Sport senior journalist in ItalyPublished23 minutes agoThe decision to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at next month’s Winter Paralympics “has not been easy”, reported Johan Eliasch, the president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding at the Milan-Cortina Games, which start on 6 March.In September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted its ban on athletes from the two countries competing at the Games.However, the IPC does not govern the six sports contested at the Paralympics and despite the individual bodies – including FIS – refusing to lift their own bans, Russia and Belarus won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (Cas) against FIS.As a result, athletes have been able to return to FIS competitions and the 10 athletes have been awarded bipartite commission invitations to compete at the Paralympics.Speaking to BBC Sport at the Winter Olympics, Eliasch reported: “It has not been easy. “What we’re dealing with here is an issue that is divisive, where people have different feelings depending on where they come from. It’s something that we have to respect.”Athletes can’t choose where they were born. On the other hand, they can’t be used for PR purposes in their home countries to promote the war.”It’s our duty to make sure that athletes are not weaponised for political purposes.”It will mark the first time a Russian flag has been flown at a Paralympic Games since the Sochi 2014 Games, initially because of the country’s state-sponsored doping programme, and latterly because of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.Six athletes to compete under Russian flag at Paralympics