Partial expression canceled
IPC paves away for Russian and Belarusian athletes
Updated on September 27, 2025 – 10:23 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Since the war of attack against Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian para athletes have not been allowed to run under their flag. Now the sheet has turned.
At its general assembly on Saturday in Seoul, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided to cancel the partial expression of Russia and the ally of Belarus, which has been in effect since the war against Ukraine, and to re -include the two national committees as full members.
“The IPC will work with the two affected members in order to take practical measures as soon as possible,” says the opinion of the International Paralympic Committee.
This decision paves the way for the participation of Russian and Belarusian para athletes under their respective flag at the games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (March 6th to 15th, 2026). At the Paralympics in Paris, the athletes from Russia and Belarus were only allowed to take part in a neutral flag, their hymns were not played during award ceremony. At the Winter Games 2022 in Beijing, they were excluded.
It is open whether the Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will actually be there in March 2026. The final decision on admission lies with the world associations responsible for the sports, which had recently maintained the sanctions.
The IPC made a drastic decision on Saturday than the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Its executive had determined on Friday last week to only allow active people from Russia and Belarus to be allowed to allow strict criteria as individual athletes under the summer games of Paris 2024 as individual athletes.