Overview
- Germany’s Paralympic team will not send athletes or officials to the nations’ march in Verona, opting instead to appear only in pre-recorded segments.
- The IPC said volunteers will carry national flags at the opening ceremony to ensure uniformity and address logistics between Verona and the competition venues.
- Ukraine called for a boycott of the opening, with Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic also announcing they will not take part.
- The IPC prohibited Ukraine’s planned uniforms featuring a 1991-border map as a political message and approved an alternative design after discussions.
- Six Russian and four Belarusian athletes have wildcard entries and may compete under their flags, and Germany’s sports state minister canceled her attendance at the ceremony.