The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games is happening today, March 6, 2026. The event takes place at the Arena di Verona, marking the first time an opening ceremony is being held at a UNESCO World Heritage site. According to officials, the arena has been “retrofitted with new wheelchair ramps and accessible restrooms”, among other safety upgrades.
Additionally, the 2026 games mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics. Not only will the Milan Cortina Games be the biggest, with over 600 participating athletes, but also the most gender-balanced. The 2026 Winter Olympic Games also broke the previous record for female athlete participation last month. Competition began on Wednesday with wheelchair curling and para alpine skiing, and the games will run until March 15. The closing ceremony will be at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, where the 1956 Winter Olympic opening ceremony was held.
However, this year’s opening ceremony is expected to make headlines for another reason. Multiple countries are expected to completely boycott the event over athletes from Russia and Belarus being allowed to compete under their nation’s flags for the first time since the bans. According to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the decision was made because “there was no longer clear evidence that Russia is using sport to promote its war”.
Ukraine called for the boycott of the opening ceremony, which will reportedly include Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and the UK. These countries are not expected to send athletes or officials to the event. Main broadcasters, such as those from Estonia, also “vow not to show any Russian athletes competing”. Furthermore, with almost half the participating countries expected to send only partial delegations, some IPC officials worry about the potential “bad press” of having so many empty seats at an event meant to celebrate inclusion.
Over the last year or so, multiple sports organizations have seemingly eased their restrictions on Russia, with the full reinstatement by the International Judo Federation and FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s announcement that “football is heading in the same direction under his watch”. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also had athletes from these countries compete during their games; however, the athletes were not allowed to represent their countries, instead competing under a neutral flag. But that may not be the case for much longer, as IOC President Kristy Coventry has hinted “Russia may make a full-fledged return at the 2028 Summer Games”.
The inclusion of Russia and Belarus, despite the war in Ukraine, raises questions about the participation of other countries, namely, the United States and Israel, regarding the recent conflict in Iran. Before the opening ceremony, the IPC announced that Iran would not participate in the Paralympics because the country’s only athlete, para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi, was unable to safely travel to Italy. The US is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, but the conflict with Iran is a clear violation of Olympic hosting rules. Will the US see any repercussions? I honestly doubt it. The IOC’s decision to allow Israeli athletes to compete at this year’s Winter Olympic Games under their nation’s flag despite Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians shows the IOC’s willingness to bend the rules.
