France to not boycott Paralympic games despite Russian participation

France will participate in the opening ceremony of the upcoming Paralympic Games in Milan, despite a boycott announced by several countries over the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under their national flags.

The French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) confirmed that France would take part in the March 6–15 Games and would not join the diplomatic and symbolic boycott of the opening ceremony. A number of states have opted to boycott the event in protest against the decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their own flags, Le Figaro reports.

CPSF President Marie-Amélie Le Fur said the committee’s firm position, for now, was not to boycott the opening ceremony, either at the institutional level or by preventing French athletes from attending.

More than a week ago, the International Paralympic Committee approved the participation of six Russian and four Belarusian athletes under their national flags. The move effectively ended the suspension imposed on the two countries following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which was supported by Minsk.

Le Fur noted that although the French committee did not share the IPC’s decision, it had chosen to respect it on the grounds that it was reached through a democratic process.

According to media reports, the opening ceremony is set to be boycotted by Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Poland and Latvia.

By Sabina Mammadli