IPC restores rights to Russian and Belarusian Paralympic Committees

The International Paralympic Committee voted on Saturday in Seoul to lift a partial suspension of the Russian and Belarusian Paralympic Committees, restoring their full membership rights and opening the possibility that athletes from those countries could compete under their national flags at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics in March 2026. The decision came after IPC member organisations rejected motions to fully or partially suspend the two committees in a series of roll-call votes at the IPC general assembly.

Delegates voted 111 to 55, with 11 abstentions, against a motion to fully suspend the Russian Paralympic Committee, and 91 to 77, with eight abstentions, against a motion to partially suspend it. For Belarus, members voted 119 to 48, with nine abstentions, against full suspension and 103 to 63, with 10 abstentions, against a partial suspension. The IPC said the outcome means the National Paralympic Committees of Russia and Belarus regain the full rights and privileges of IPC membership in accordance with the organisation's constitution.

The IPC said it will work with the two members involved to put practical arrangements in place as soon as reasonably possible. The...