Overview
- Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the Winter Paralympics open in Verona’s ancient arena.
- Only 28 of 55 National Paralympic Committees sent up to two athletes to the ceremony, with volunteers carrying all flags and delegations shown in prerecorded clips due to travel and scheduling constraints.
- Seven committees — Ukraine, Poland, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania — boycotted the opening in protest, while Germany, Canada, Great Britain and France did not march citing sporting or logistical reasons.
- The IPC granted six wildcards to Russian athletes and four to Belarusians, allowing them to compete under their national flags and anthems.
- Iran’s sole nominee, cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, did not travel after the IPC said a safe route to Italy could not be guaranteed.