Anger about Paralympics with Russians
“I am deeply ashamed of this decision”
03/02/2022 5:01 p.m
The Winter Paralympics in Beijing start on Friday – with Russian and Belarusian participants. The International Paralympic Committee decides that the athletes will not be disqualified. This causes frustration and horror.
Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing. This is the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Athletes may only start as neutral athletes, neither flags nor anthems may be visible. Both nations do not appear in the medal table when it comes to precious metals from Friday to March 13th.
IPC President Andrew Parsons explains this as follows: “The IPC and the Paralympic Movement are deeply concerned about the gross violation of the Olympic truce by the Russian and Belarusian governments. The IPC Governing Board is unanimous in its condemnation of these actions. In deciding what action the IPC should take, was It is fundamental that we work within the framework of our new Constitution to remain politically neutral and consistent with the IPC Handbook, Rules and Regulations Such neutrality is firmly anchored in the genuine belief that sport is the transformative force possesses to bring out the best of our humanity, especially in our darkest moments.”
The decision and the justification caused massive criticism from Germany and the world:
Friedhelm-Julius Beucher (President of the German Disabled Sports Association): “It’s disappointing and despondent. In view of the daily atrocities of war in Ukraine, we wouldn’t have thought such a decision possible. It would have taken a consistent decision, now and not after the Paralympics. This decision sends a completely wrong signal. In the Ukraine is raging a Russian invasion and the IPC relies on rules and paragraphs, we have no sympathy for that.In the event of war, using a set of rules that does not take into account the observance of the Olympic and Paralympic Peace, we cannot understand and in our opinion is wrong “In such a situation, moral and political decisions are needed, not legal ones. I still can’t and still don’t want to imagine that Russian and Ukrainian athletes will move into the stadium on Friday at the opening ceremony and compete in sporting competitions on Saturday. We respect a democratically made decision ung, but cannot accept them.”
Karl Quade (Chief de Mission and DBS Vice): “I am very, very disappointed. The worst thing for me was when Parsons announced the decision, the cheers erupted next door in the Russian House. It was incredible. It is incomprehensible that the IPC should make a completely different decision than that absolute majority of the sporting world. I have been a member of the Paralympic Movement since the IPC was founded in 1989, but I am deeply ashamed of this decision. Many national committees have shown total incomprehension for this decision, including us.”
Thomas Weikert (President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation): “We consider the decision of the International Paralympic Committee together with the German Disabled Sports Association to be wrong. In view of the war that Russia, with the support of Belarus, is waging against Ukraine and its people, sport is resorting to tough sanctions worldwide. We continue to stand by our demand, to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and Russian and Belarusian officials from international sport until further notice.Participation based on renaming as supposedly ‘neutral’ undermines the intention and goal of the sanctions to counter the blatant breach of international law with signs that are visible worldwide. “
Mareike Miller (DBS athlete spokeswoman): “I’m not surprised, but the words of our federation are spot on. It’s a shame that this has to be all. One can only feel sorry for the Ukrainian athletes who are scheduled to play against Russians and Belarusians in Beijing.”
Sabine Poschmann (sports policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group): “The decision of the IPC is completely incomprehensible and sends a fatal signal. Only the complete exclusion of the Russian and Belarusian athletes would have been an appropriate reaction to the Russian war of aggression supported by Belarus. The IPC fails to show a clear stance and is harmful with this half-baked decision the sport”.
British Paralympic Association: “We are disappointed with today’s decision by the International Paralympic Committee. Like many other participating Paralympic nations, we have already stated that, given the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, we cannot see how Russia or Belarus could participate in the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 is consistent with the goals of the Paralympic movement. We will continue to consult and consider the implications for ParalympicsGB before commenting further.”
But there is also understanding for the decision:
Philipp Hartewig (Chairman of the FDP in the Sports Committee): “I understand this decision. We should see the decision as an opportunity for the Russian Paralympics participants to send a lasting signal to the world as ambassadors of peace, together with the Paralympic movement.”
Jitske Visser (Chairwoman of the IPC Athletes Council): “It is disappointing for the athletes and everyone involved in the Games that 48 hours before the opening ceremony, the talk is not about sport but about global politics. It is absolutely clear that athletes around the world have different views on this issue and it “It is important that these are all recognized and taken into account. In my capacity as Chair of the IPC Athletes’ Council, it has been my responsibility to summarize all of the athlete community’s views on this situation and bring them to the IPC Board. I hope that now that a decision has been made was hit, the focus can be directed back to the sport.”