A new, further twist shakes the 2026 Winter Paralympics: the flag-bearing athletes will not parade at the opening ceremony at the Verona Arena, an almost unprecedented event in the history of the Games. Instead of athletes, volunteers will carry the national flags during the opening. But why is all this? The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) justified the choice with the distance from the competition fields: many competitions, in fact, will be held the following morning in Cortina, Milan or Tesero, making it difficult for athletes to participate.
IOC Statement on athletes’ safe passage
(…) As a global organisation, the IOC has to navigate a complex reality. At every edition of the Olympic Games, the IOC has to deal with the consequences of the current political context and the latest developments in the world. At the… pic.twitter.com/jK5Ws8t8lm
— Christian Klaue (@ChKlaue) March 3, 2026
The chaos after the readmission of Russia and Belarus
However, according to many, there is much more behind the decision: the ICP had also announced the readmission of the symbols of Russia and Belarus to the Paralympics, whose athletes will compete with the flag and the national anthem contrary to what has happened in recent years due to the invasion of Ukraine.
This had provoked immediate protests, primarily from Ukraine which had announced a boycott of the opening ceremony by not allowing its athletes to participate. From here it was a chain reaction with eight other nations announcing their absence from the ceremony: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic.
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Even some countries, although participating, had expressed dissent, including Italy. At this point the IPC tried to run for cover, trying to balance logistical needs with the risk of political conflict. In fact, however, the result was a media chaos destined to cause discussion in the coming days.
The tribute to the athletes with video contributions
Returning to the actual ceremony, despite the physical absence of the flag bearers, the athletes will not be ignored: images recorded in advance will be broadcast during live television, allowing the public to see the athletes in moments of great national pride. In Italy, for example, Renè De Silvestro and Chiara Mazzel, designated flag bearers, will not be able to parade due to the races the following day in Cortina, but will still be honored with video contributions.
An extraordinary choice which effectively transforms the opening ceremony into a more symbolic than competitive event, but which at the same time highlights the political and logistical complexity that is currently surrounding international sport with increasingly pressing geopolitical tensions which are also reflected in Milano Cortina 2026.
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