Countries boycott Paralympics ceremony over Russia inclusion

Seven nations and the British government will boycott the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics in protest against the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes, organisers have confirmed.

- Paul MacInnes

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said that the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine would not be sending athletes or officials to the ceremony tonight.

Other countries - including Great Britain - said they will not be sending athletic representation owing to the imminent start of competition. The IPC estimates fewer than 60% ofthe competing countries will send a full delegation to the event in the 2,000-year-old Arena di Verona.

The British government also confirmed there would be no representatives attending the event and reiterated its opposition to Russian athletes competing under their own flag: “We have been clear that the Russian and Belarusian states should not be represented in international sport while the barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine is ongoing”

It added in a statement that the minister for sport, Stephanie Peacock, would be in Cortina “purely to support our inspirational ParalympicsGB athletes”.