Paralympics, Ipc rejects Ukrainian uniforms: 'Too political'

TOPSHOT - L'ucraino Vladyslav Heraskevych partecipa alla sessione di allenamento maschile di skeleton al Cortina Sliding Centre durante i Giochi Olimpici Invernali Milano Cortina 2026 a Cortina d'Ampezzo il 9 febbraio 2026. (Foto di FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

"This is the price of our dignity", Heraskevych had written on X after the announcement of his disqualification. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky then awarded him the Order of Freedom, in recognition of his choice. A gesture also approved by the Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov - owner of the Shakhtar Donetsk football team and of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol - who donated Heraskevych over 200,000 euros, an amount equal to that received by someone who returns to Ukraine with an Olympic gold medal, to continue training. Heraskevych 'returns to Ukraine as a true winner', Akhmetov said.

On the Paralympic front, on the other hand, the Ukrainian National Committee had already declared days ago its intention to boycott the opening ceremony at the Arena in Verona, in protest against the Ipc's decision to admit six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to the winter competitions with their uniforms, flags and respective national anthems. A decision also endorsed by the national Paralympic committees of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Finland and, more recently, Canada.

"More than the boycott I am concerned about those who use this moment as a pretext to politicise the Paralympics," responded Ipc president Andrew Parsons on the matter.

According to a recent survey carried out by Swg and commissioned by Coca-Cola - partner of the Olympic and Paralympic movement - one out of two Italians follows both the Olympic and Paralympic Games with interest and more than 7 out of 10 Italians recognise the same sports and values matrix in the two events. A perception that is particularly marked among the youngest, where more than 80 per cent of Generation Z in Italia identify in both the ability to unite people through sport. The same study would show that, for almost 9 out of 10 Italians, the Paralympic Games go beyond the purely competitive aspect and become a moment capable of speaking to the country, through a collective reflection on inclusion, accessibility and shared responsibility.

It remains to be seen how much attention will remain - apart from the controversy - on the sporting achievements of athletes, whatever nationality they may be.