Ukraine’s 20 athletes for the Paralympic Winter Games are expected to be in Beijing in time for Friday’s opening ceremony, IPC spokesman Craig Spence told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
Spence said the team was heading to the Chinese capital and could arrive as early as Wednesday.
The arrival was questionable after Russia invaded Ukraine last week. The International Paralympic Committee is due to meet on Wednesday and may impose additional sanctions on Russian athletes or exclude them from the Paralympic Games.
Russian athletes have to compete in Beijing as an RPC, abbreviated by Russia’s Paralympic Committee, as a result of a state-sponsored doping scandal and cover-up of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Belarus is also expected to be sanctioned by the IPC board for its involvement in the war. Belarusians may be forced to compete as neutral athletes in Beijing, as can Russia.
Russian athletes at the Winter Olympics last month competed as the ROC, abbreviated by the Russian Olympic Committee, over the doping scandal.
The International Olympic Committee, which has repeatedly failed to forcibly punish Russia for its doping history, on Monday forced dozens of sports governing bodies to exclude Russian athletes and officials from international events.
The IOC, which left the decision to others, said the action was needed to “protect the integrity of global sporting events and the safety of all participants”.
The IOC has also given sports organizations a way to circumvent expulsions.
“Where this is not possible in the short term for organizational or legal reasons, the IOC … urges international sports federations and sporting event organizers around the world to do their utmost to ensure that no athlete or sports officer Russia or Belarus will not be allowed to participate under the name Russia or Belarus, “the IOC said.
Russia is expected to have 71 athletes participating in the Paralympic Games. About 650 athletes from 49 delegations, including Ukraine, are expected to attend the Games.
The Beijing Winter Olympics brought together 2,900 athletes from 91 delegations. It closes on February 20. The Paralympic Games end on March 13.
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