(Beijing) has less than 24 hours to change its mind: Under pressure, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has finally decided to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Winter Games, which begin on Friday in Beijing.
Posted at 6:32
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by saying, “This is a terrible situation, it is a shame.”
The IPC, which took over after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in which Belarus is cooperating, announced on Wednesday that these athletes could participate in the Games under a neutral banner, a decision that has been upheld in many countries.
In a press release, the IPC defended its face by saying, “Beijing is compromising its chances of success at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games and is now threatening teams and athletes not to participate.”
During the opening ceremony of the Games in the Chinese capital until March 13, the committee added that “the situation in the village of athletes is deteriorating and their safety has become impossible.”
At the press conference, IPC President Andrew Parsons addressed 83 athletes from the two countries concerned.
“We are sorry to hear that you are concerned about the decisions taken by your governments last week,” he said.
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