Paralympic chief expects 'reaction' to Russia ban lift

The president of nan International Paralympic Committee says he knows "there will beryllium a reaction" from different countries complete nan determination to assistance a prohibition connected Russian and Belarusian athletes.

IPC members voted connected Saturday to assistance a partial ban, meaning nan athletes tin compete nether their nation's flags astatine early world events - specified arsenic nan 2026 Winter Paralympics.

The partial prohibition - allowing athletes to compete arsenic neutrals - was introduced successful 2023, replacing a afloat prohibition aft nan 2022 Russian penetration of Ukraine.

IPC leader Andrew Parsons told BBC Sport countries person "the correct to not for illustration nan determination made, and I do understand it. But we are a antiauthoritarian organisation and our rank has spoken, knowing location will beryllium reaction, knowing it's a arguable topic".

The Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee said nan IPC had allowed Russia and Belarus to "raise their flags, drenched successful nan humor of hundreds of thousands of people".

It added: "[We] condemn this disgraceful determination of nan IPC wide assembly, which discredits nan International Paralympic Committee, and telephone connected each nationalist Paralympic committees worldwide against nan admittance of those who encroach upon nan basal quality correct - nan correct to life."

Despite nan IPC vote, athletes will still request their individual sporting federations to assistance their ain bans successful bid to correspond their countries.

For example, while nan IPC determination would let Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete nether their ain flags astatine nan Winter Paralympics successful Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo successful March 2026, nan bans from nan world bodies that govern nan six sports connected nan schedule successful Italy would presently forestall them from doing so.

Parsons, who was speaking astatine nan Para Athletics World Championships successful New Delhi, India, added: "Decisions made by nan wide assembly are made by much than 200 members. They took nan determination - my occupation is to instrumentality that decision.

"Many group cognize my individual position. I don't deliberation it's worthy mentioning now. I activity for nan IPC; I request to travel what is decided by nan membership.

"History will show - I don't deliberation we are connected 1 broadside aliases nan other; we are sports organisations. It's thing I don't deliberation is adjacent that only nan world of athletics has to beryllium nan 1 trying to lick issues erstwhile it comes to politics.

"I deliberation politicians and world leaders person nan powerfulness to make it happen, not us. Not athletics administrators, not athletes."