The reason is that four specialized federations are responsible for six winter sports — skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, curling, and ice hockey. The first three of these federations did not grant permission for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the qualifying competitions, while the ice hockey federation approved participation too late, after the selection had already been completed.
Thus, according to the IPC, "in practice, no athlete from these two countries will likely be able to qualify for the 2026 Winter Paralympics," which is confirmed by data from international federations.
It is worth noting that earlier, the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee restored the full membership of the Paralympic committees of Russia and Belarus, lifting all restrictions. This allowed athletes to once again compete under the flags of their countries and with their national anthems at competitions starting from 2023.
Previously, in 2023, the membership of the Russian Paralympic Committee was suspended, and Russian athletes could only compete in individual events and under a neutral flag.
The Winter Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place from March 6 to 15, 2026, in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The Olympic Games will be held there from February 6 to 22 of the same year.
