MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Russia appears to have avoided a full ban from next year’s Paralympics in Paris after the International Paralympic Committee’s members voted Friday against suspending the country’s membership.
The IPC wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that members voted 74-65 against a motion to fully suspend Russia “for breaches of its constitutional membership obligations.” Thirteen more members abstained.
Another vote is scheduled later Friday on whether to “partially suspend” Russia. That could mean Russia sends competitors to the Paralympics but that they have to compete as neutral athletes without national symbols.
Similar votes were also planned concerning Russia’s ally Belarus.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus arrived at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing in March 2022, about a week after Russian troops invaded Ukraine. They were excluded a day before the opening ceremony.
The IPC sought to include them as neutral athletes but reversed course after other countries said they would boycott. At the time, IPC president Andrew Parsons cited an “untenable” security situation in the athletes village.
The International Olympic Committee favors letting Russians and Belarusians compete in international sports events as neutral athletes without national symbols as long as they aren’t in the military and haven’t publicly supported the war. The IOC says it hasn’t made a decision on next year’s Paris Olympics.
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