Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete at the Winter Paralympic Games.

Johan Eliasch, the president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), stated that the decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in next month's Winter Paralympics was not an easy one. At the competition that will take place in Milan-Cortina, starting on March 6, six Russian athletes and four Belarusians will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding.

In September, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted the ban on athletes from the two countries, but FIS and other bodies maintained the bans. However, Russia and Belarus won an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, allowing athletes to return to competition.

Eliasch emphasized the complexity of the situation, mentioning that athletes cannot choose their nationality and that they should not be used for PR purposes to promote the war. This will be the first time that the Russian flag will fly at the Paralympic Games since Sochi 2014, when Russia was excluded due to the state-sponsored doping program and later due to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.