By Hannah Blackwell
Menna Fitzpatrick will not be sharing the athlete’s village with Russian or Belarusion competitors at the Winter Olympics after a dramatic about-turn by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Wales’ Paralympic champion Fitzpatrick is due to defend her slalom skiing title in Beijing when the Games starts this weekend.
She would have been competing against Russian skiers and sharing the village with athletes from the countries involved in the war in Ukraine, but that will not now happen.
Amid fears that other nations could pull out of the showpiece winter event for para-athletes, the IPC reversed its decision from less than 24 hours earlier to allow those athletes to compete as neutrals.
“In taking our decision yesterday we were looking at the long-term health and survival of the Paralympic movement,” IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement on the eve of the Games.
“However, what is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique and impossible position so close to the start of the games.
“In the last 12 hours an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us and been very open, for which I am grateful.
Menna Fitzpatrick Strikes Gold Again At Para Alpine Worlds In Italy https://t.co/eePCEu7PhC pic.twitter.com/OCJptKYTLe
— Dai Sport (@Dai_Sport_) January 31, 2019
“They have told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences.”
Parsons said multiple national paralympic committees had threatened to withdraw from competition.
“Ensuring the safety and security of athletes is of paramount importance to us and the situation in the athlete villages is escalating and has now become untenable,” he said.
The drastic action comes less than 24 hours after the IPC announced it would allow athletes from the two nations to compete when the 10-day event starts on Friday, but only as neutral athletes with colours, flags and other national symbols removed.
The IPC received immediate criticism. It was termed a betrayal that sent the wrong message to Russia’s leadership.
The IPC also said it was evident that many athletes would refuse to compete against Russians or Belarusians, creating chaos for the Paralympics and damaging the reputation of the Games.
Thursday sunshine in the Village.☀️#WinterParalympics #Beijing2022 📸:OIS Photos. pic.twitter.com/k5E4CrW7El
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) March 3, 2022
Parsons, in announcing the initial measures in a Beijing news conference on Wednesday night, sympathised openly with the Ukrainian people, but said his actions were constrained by his organisation’s rules and the fear of legal action.
Parsons said almost the opposite in announcing his reversal, noting his constituents had pushed back.
The IPC now joins sports like football, athletics, basketball, hockey, and others that have imposed blanket bans on Russians and Belarusians.
The International Olympic Committee on Monday pushed sports bodies to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from international events, but it left the final decision to individual governing bodies.
Russia was expected to have 71 athletes competing in Beijing. It was not immediately clear how many Belarusian athletes were involved. Ukraine has said it would have 20.