One of the main news in the world of sports was the announcement that France will not join the boycott of the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina, which will take place on March 6 in Verona. This was reported by UNN with reference to Lequipe.
Details
As the source notes, due to the significant distance between Verona and the sports arenas, the participation of French athletes in the ceremony will be provided by volunteers. The official position of the CPSF on this issue is also provided.
We have established a clear position: no committee representative and no athlete will boycott the opening
Earlier, the International Paralympic Committee allowed six athletes from Russia and four from Belarus to participate in competitions under national flags. This effectively lifted the ban that had been in place since February 2022 in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Minsk's support.
Even if we do not share the IPC's decision, we have decided to respect it, as it was made democratically
In response to the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes, a number of countries decided to refuse to participate in the opening ceremony. Ukraine was the first to do so, followed by the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, Estonia, and Latvia. IPC representatives noted that they understand the reaction of some states but emphasized that the decision was made within a democratic process.
Recall
Earlier, we reported that the Finnish Paralympic Committee refused to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympics.