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Overview
- The International Paralympic Committee said athletes will not lead delegations at the Verona Arena, with volunteers parading and prerecorded flag-bearer images used in the broadcast.
- At least eight countries announced they will skip the opening ceremony in protest: Ukraine, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Czech Republic.
- Protests follow the IPC’s February 17 decision allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete with their national flags and anthems rather than under neutral status.
- The International Olympic Committee on March 3 appealed to governments to guarantee athletes’ safety and said it lacks means to enforce the United Nations Olympic truce.
- An IOC spokesperson said the body would not comment further on recent Israeli and U.S. actions against Iran or Iran’s retaliatory strikes, and the Paralympic Winter Games run March 6–15.