Cortina: Iran will not compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics after its only athlete was forced to withdraw hours before the opening ceremony.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) issued a statement stating that two-time Paralympian Aboulfazl Khatibi could not safely travel to Italy amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Khatibi was set to compete in para cross-country skiing.
Russia is allowed to bear its flag at a Paralympic Games for the first time since 2014.Credit: Getty Images
“Since the conflict began … the IPC and [the] Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee have been working tirelessly behind the scenes with [Iran] and [its] national ski federation to find alternative routes for the safe passage of the Iran delegation to the Games,” the committee’s president, Andrew Parsons, said.
“However, with the conflict ongoing across the Middle East, the risk to human life is too high.”
Iran’s flag was removed from the opening ceremony, held in Verona on Saturday morning (AEDT).
President of the organising committee Giovanni Malago addressed the conflict in his speech at the ceremony.
“Of course we cannot ignore that these Games take place in a deeply divided world, torn apart by [the] worst grief and suffering at one of the most dramatic turning points of our time,” he said.
“For this reason, the message of peace, inclusion and solidarity at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movement is more meaningful and more important than ever.”
The ceremony was not attended by Australian officials who joined the diplomatic boycott of the ceremony after the Russian and Belarusian athletes were permitted to participate under their own flags.
Despite their absence, Australia was represented by athlete and flag-bearer Georgia Gunew, her guide Ethan Jackson, and 16-year-old para-alpine skier Liana France.
Australia’s other flag-bearer – four-time winter Paralympian Ben Tudhope – and the rest of the Australian team remained near competition venues outside Verona ahead of the first events held on Saturday.
Ethan Jackson, Georgia Gunew and Liana France represent team Australia at the Milano Cortina Paralympic Games opening ceremony.Credit: Getty Images
More than half of the competing 55 countries did not have athletes represent them during the parade. While many were due to scheduling conflicts with Saturday’s events, at least eight – Germany, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Finland – followed Ukraine’s boycott of the ceremony. Earlier this week, Paralympics Australia confirmed it would not be joining the athlete boycott.
Ukraine did not send athletes to the parade of nations and the Ukrainian flag was instead flown by Paralympics volunteers, who received loud cheers during the parade. Athletes from the large British and Canadian teams were also absent, with both countries claiming scheduling conflicts prevented athlete representation at the opening ceremony.
Athletes from Russia participated in the parade behind their country’s flag for the first time since the Sochi Games in 2014.
The country was originally banned due to a state-sanctioned doping regime before a new ban was enforced in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine. Its flag-bearers were announced as para cross-country skier Anastasia Bagiyan and para-alpine skier Aleksei Bugaev, who competed for Russia at the 2014 Games and as a neutral athlete in 2018.
Ukraine boycotted the opening ceremony but their flag, carried by Paralympics volunteers, was met with cheers from the crowd.Credit: Getty Images for IPC
Athletes from Belarus, which was also banned in 2022, marched behind their flag during the opening ceremony.
On Friday night, Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko welcomed news that Australian officials would not be attending the opening ceremony.
“Thank you to the Australian officials for boycotting the opening of the Winter Paralympic Games in response to the decision to allow Russian athletes to compete under their flag,” he wrote.
“Since 2022, Russia’s war against Ukraine has claimed the lives of more than 500 Ukrainian athletes. Sport cannot be separated from the values it represents, and this principled stance sends a powerful message of solidarity.”
This masthead has travelled to Cortina as a guest of Paralympics Australia.
The Winter Paralympic Games is broadcast on the Nine Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.
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