Start of the 2026 Winter Paralympics: Ukraine competes with a record team, but boycotts the opening ceremony
Kyiv • UNN
At the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games, Ukraine will be represented by 25 para-athletes and 10 guide athletes. The Ukrainian team will boycott the opening ceremony due to the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus under their national flags.
From March 6 to 15, the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games will take place, where Ukraine will be represented by a record number of athletes. The national team includes 25 para-athletes and 10 guide athletes, UNN reports with reference to the post of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
Details
Overall, the 2026 Games could be the largest in the history of the Winter Paralympics. 612 athletes from 56 countries are expected to participate. Medals will be contested in 79 disciplines across six sports.
At the same time, the Ukrainian national team decided to boycott the opening ceremony of the competitions. The reason was the decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate under their national flags. Because of this, Ukrainian representatives will not take part in the traditional march of nations, and will also not appear in video presentations of participating countries, which will be broadcast during the ceremony.
Addition
The opening ceremony will take place at the arena in Verona. The Ukrainian team will be absent from the event, and the broadcast of the opening will also not be shown by the broadcaster "Suspilne Sport".
Despite the situation surrounding the ceremony, Ukrainian athletes are preparing to compete and will fight for awards. For the team, this is another opportunity to demonstrate the results of many years of training and make a name for themselves on the international stage.