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
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
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×