Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – The 14th Winter Paralympics concluded on Sunday in Italy, marked by both athletic achievement and ongoing political controversy. A longstanding agreement between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOK), established in 1991, ensures the Paralympics are held at the same location as the preceding Olympic Games, offering logistical benefits and increased visibility for para-athletes.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Bonn, Germany, the IPC operates independently from the IOK, allowing for distinct rules and regulations. This independence proved particularly significant this year regarding the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus. In September 2025, a majority vote at the IPC General Assembly reinstated the eligibility of athletes from both nations to compete, not as “neutral athletes” under the Olympic flag, but representing their countries with full national symbols.
This marked Russia’s first official participation in the Winter Paralympics since 2014. The country was banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang due to allegations of systematic doping stemming from the 2014 Sochi Games. In 2022, at the Beijing Paralympics, Russian athletes who had already traveled to the Games were barred from competing just one day before the opening ceremony following the invasion of Ukraine.
Due to limited opportunities to compete in World Cup events leading up to the Games, Russian and Belarusian athletes struggled to meet the standard qualification criteria. The IPC addressed this by issuing six wildcards to Russia and four to Belarus.
The Russian and Belarusian athletes who did participate demonstrated their continued competitiveness despite years of international boycotts. By the final day of competition on Sunday, Russia had secured nine medals, while Belarus had won two. The first Russian gold medal was claimed by alpine skier Warwara Worontschichina in the women’s standing Super-G. A day later, Anastassia Bagijan added another gold for Russia in the visually impaired cross-country sprint, prompting a protest from Germany’s silver medalist, Linn Kazmaier, who, along with her guide Florian Baumann, turned away during the playing of the Russian anthem and refused to participate in the traditional medal ceremony selfie.
Medal Count and Controversy
The German team’s performance mirrored their results from the 2022 Beijing Games, with a final medal count of 16 compared to 19 four years prior. Alpine skier Anna-Lena Forster secured Germany’s only two gold medals, winning both the giant slalom and downhill in the seated class. Biathlon proved to be Germany’s strongest discipline, yielding nine medals. Veteran Andrea Rothfuss, a 14-time Paralympic medalist, returned to competition after a battle with depression, though she did not add to her medal tally this year, using her platform to discuss mental health in sports.
China dominated the medal table with 38 medals, building on their impressive debut at the 2022 Beijing Games where they won 61 medals. This surge in success led to discussions about “classification doping,” with accusations that China exploited a modified classification system during the pandemic to gain a competitive advantage. These concerns were less prominent this year, with China’s continued success suggesting genuine progress in para-sport development.
Local Successes and Global Challenges
The Paralympics similarly highlighted the growing strength of para-sport globally. In Austria, the Aigner siblings have become stars, collectively winning nine alpine skiing medals for the visually impaired in Beijing 2022 and at least as many in Italy. The United States’ Oksana Masters continued to add to her impressive medal count, now exceeding 20 Paralympic medals across winter and summer sports.
The participation of Russian athletes, however, remained a sensitive issue. Ukrainian athletes expressed their discontent, with Oxana Shyshkova, a 15-time medalist in cross-country skiing and biathlon for the visually impaired, referencing her brother’s injuries sustained in the war against Russia. Ukrainian officials reported instances of what they described as “systematic harassment,” including the removal of Ukrainian flags with inscriptions by Italian event organizers. A particularly contentious incident involved Olexandra Kononowa, who was asked to remove earrings displaying the Ukrainian flag and the words “No War,” echoing the situation with Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych at the Olympic Winter Games, where his helmet featured portraits of Ukrainian athletes killed in the war.
The fundamental question of separating sport and politics remains a persistent challenge. As one official stated, acknowledging this reality could facilitate a more nuanced approach to difficult situations. The sole Iranian athlete who had qualified for the Games, a cross-country skier, was unable to participate due to safety concerns related to military actions by the United States and Israel.
The 2026 Winter Paralympics are scheduled to be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Athletes, fans, and organizers will undoubtedly continue to grapple with the complex intersection of sport, politics, and inclusivity as the Games evolve.
