The IPC revealed it was investigating the protest on Wednesday, with its chief brand and communications officer Craig Spence saying, “With Germany, we are aware of the situation, gathering evidence and analysing it.”
These Games are the first time since 2014 that Russian athletes have been allowed to compete under their own flag, following a ban in 2016 due to a state-sponsored doping program and a separate ban enforced in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The 2026 Paralympics is also the first time since 2016 that the Russian anthem has been played during a medal ceremony. Russia was permitted to enter six athletes in these Games as bipartite athletes – usually awarded to countries that are underrepresented in winter sports and could not qualify through usual pathways. Australia have two bipartite athletes in the Nordic events.
Varvara Voronchikhina won Russia first Paralympic medal of the 2026 Games.Credit: Getty Images for IPC
The Russian anthem played for the first time on Monday when Varvara Voronchikhina won the women’s super-G standing race.
“We knew that once the bipartite had been awarded, we knew there was a good chance that there would be a Russian gold medal at these Games,” Spence said after Voronchikhina’s win.
“I watched the medal ceremony on the stream, and I saw a medal ceremony like any other and very well respected by the athletes and the crowd. I think the crowd were receptive to the medal win. They just saw an athlete. I think that’s what’s really important here. They just saw an athlete at a sporting event winning a gold medal.”
Meanwhile, the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine accused the IPC of “unacceptable discrimination” saying its team had never experienced such “openly negative manifestations and obstacles” at 30 consecutive Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
A statement issued by the committee, said Ukrainian flags had been removed from the team’s residence, that they had been banned from having team meetings inside their residential building and that Ukrainian flags and scarves had been confiscated from spectators.
Ukrainian medal winner Oleksandra Kononova.Credit: Getty Images
The committee also stated that athlete Oleksandra Kononova had been forced to remove earrings that read “stop war” before being awarded her gold medal in the para-biathlon women’s sprint earlier in the week.
“The International Paralympic Committee has not only allowed blood-stained Russian and Belarusian flags, but also tries to ban Ukrainian symbolism and even yellow-blue colours,” the statement read.
Loading
In response, Spence said Ukraine had not provided feedback to the IPC in morning meetings, nor through formal or informal lines in the village.
“I can only respond on the earring today. What happened with the earrings, we realised that she was going to the podium, that she was wearing earrings that said ‘Stop War’. A member of staff noticed these earrings, realised it would most likely breach our regulations, the rules that are in accordance with the rules received from the IPC for these Games. The situation was recognised and, for us, that was the end of the matter.”
This masthead has travelled to Cortina as a guest of Paralympics Australia.
The Winter Paralympic Games is broadcast on the Nine Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.
