Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete at the Paris Paralympics in 2024 under a neutral flag, after sports officials voted against an outright ban.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) voted on Friday to partially suspend the Russian and Belarusian National Paralympic Committees for two years due to "breaches of constitutional membership obligations".
That decision means both nations can take part in Paris "in an individual and neutral capacity" without national flags, colours or emblems – a move strongly condemned by Ukraine.
The vote on an outright ban on Russian athletes narrowly failed, with 74 opposed, 65 in favour and 13 abstentions.
Russia and its ally Belarus have been suspended from Paralympic competition since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
As a result, athletes from both nations were barred from taking part in the Winter Paralympics in Beijing in March 2022.
Olympics fate still undecided
Ukraine on Friday criticised the IPC's decision, arguing it would "prolong the war".
Andrew Parsons, president of the IPC, said the organisation's members were "very firm believers that sport and politics should not mix".
The decision comes two weeks before an International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai where the organisation is expected to discuss accepting Russia and Belarus at the Paris Olympics next year.
The IOC has previously stated it will decide "at the appropriate time" whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to enter the 2024 Games.
The Russian Olympic Committee said earlier in September it would not boycott the Paris Games, and that Russians were free to compete in the Olympics as neutrals.
(with AFP)
