Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Beijing Winter Paralympics open after athlete ban controversy

Beijing Winter Paralympics open after athlete ban controversy

International Olympic Committee called on sporting federations to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Athletes paraded through Beijing’s national stadium as the Winter Paralympics opened after a storm of controversy surrounding the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The lead-up to the Games was marred by high tension in the athletes’ village, threats of competition boycotts and an eleventh-hour reversal by organisers of a previous decision to let Russian athletes and those from ally Belarus compete as neutrals.

But on Friday, focus returned to the competition as Chinese President Xi Jinping officially declared the Games open and a fireworks display erupted over the capital’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium.

Hundreds of athletes from dozens of countries waved flags in a procession through the venue, which had only carefully-chosen domestic spectators on hand due to COVID-19 rules.

The sound and light show spectacular capped off a week of high drama and wrangling among officials on the sidelines.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had urged sporting federations across the world to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine prompted widespread condemnation.

On Wednesday, Paralympic organisers said the “harshest punishment” they could administer was to force athletes from those countries to compete as neutrals.

But that decision was reversed less than 24 hours later after multiple teams and athletes threatened not to compete if Russia and Belarus were represented.

This was “jeopardising the viability” of the Games, organisers said as they announced the ban, citing safety concerns and a volatile mood in the athletes’ village.

International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons made a forceful speech at Friday night’s opening, in which he called for the Games to promote peace and sporting excellence.

“The 21st century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate,” he said, adding the Olympic truce for peace must not be violated.

“Here in Beijing, Paralympic athletes from 46 different nations will compete with each other, not against each other.

“Through sport, they will showcase the best of humanity and highlight the values that should underpin a peaceful and inclusive world.”

He bellowed “peace” into the microphone at the end of his impassioned speech, before President Xi formally declared the event open.


Cheers for Ukraine


After a harrowing journey to Beijing – narrowly escaping bombings in their war-torn homeland – Ukraine team members cut solemn figures as they entered the stadium behind biathlete and cross-country skier Maksym Yarovyi, carrying his country’s flag.

Parsons gave the team a standing ovation as they passed his seat.

Earlier in the staging area, Ukrainian athletes unveiled banners that said “stop war” and repeatedly chanted “peace for Ukraine”. Some shed tears as they received hugs from competitors from other nations.

The Ukraine delegation said it had been overwhelmed with solidarity in Beijing, and the team’s top official declared earlier this week it was a “miracle” they made it to the competition.

Chinese athletes received loud cheers from the crowd and their own standing ovation, including from President Xi, as they entered the stadium waving flags.

After the parade, world record triple jumper and four-time gold medallist Li Duan – who is visually impaired – placed a flaming Paralympic torch onto the snowflake-shaped cauldron to light it.


Coming just six months after the pandemic-delayed Paralympic Games closed in Tokyo, Beijing has become the first city to host the Winter and Summer Olympic series in a pared-down event held in a tightly closed pandemic bubble.

Sporting action begins on Saturday, as more than 650 athletes compete in 78 events across six sports – ice hockey, snowboarding, biathlon, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and wheelchair curling.

While Olympic athletes last month faced treacherous blizzards and some competitions were forced to postpone, temperatures on the slopes at Zhangjiakou and Yanqing have warmed up in recent days, causing snow to melt.

China has consistently topped the medal tally at the Summer Paralympics.

But its first medal for the Winter Paralympics only came in 2018 – a gold in wheelchair curling – and it is hoping its largest-ever team of 96 athletes will get more podium finishes this year.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×