PARALYMPICS: Games opening ceremony faces boycott, travel uncertainty after Iran strikes

Eight countries, including Ukraine and Poland, will boycott the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics opening ceremony over Russian athletes competing under their flag, while travel disruptions from U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran may affect other delegations. The Games run March 6-15, with over 600 athletes expected to compete.

Giancarlo Navach / Reuters

March 4, 2026

FILE PHOTO: General view of the Olympic rings and Paralympic Agitos logo ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on January 26, 2026.

Claudia Greco/File Photo/Reuters

MILAN — Eight countries will boycott the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics opening ceremony on Friday in protest of the inclusion of Russian athletes competing under their national flag, while additional delegations could miss the event due to travel disruptions following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The countries planning to skip the ceremony are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Ukraine, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Chief Brand and Communications Officer Craig Spence said.

The IPC warned that the closure of airspace in parts of the Middle East could affect the arrival of athletes and other stakeholders. The committee declined to comment on the status of more than 50 national delegations.

The Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics will run from March 6 to March 15. The opening ceremony is scheduled at Verona’s ancient Roman arena, located about 170 kilometers (106 miles) east of Milan.

The IPC expects a record number of athletes at the Games — more than 600 — with final confirmations expected in the coming days. Among the registered competitors, 10 are from Russia and Belarus. Israel is expected to send one female alpine skier, while Iran is due to be represented by one male cross-country skier.

Marco Giunio De Sanctis, president of the Italian Paralympic Committee, expressed concern that the current situation could overshadow a key moment for athletes from around the world traveling to compete in Italy.

“The situation is truly worrying and unfortunate. The impacts of this war could be manifold,” De Sanctis told Reuters.

From a logistical standpoint, most athletes should have already arrived, he said, noting that the first para curling match is scheduled in Cortina on Wednesday.

However, De Sanctis added that the escalating conflict involving Iran could overshadow the message of the Games.

“It is a great shame, because none of the athletes deserve this after making so many sacrifices to get here,” he said.

-Reporting by Giancarlo Navach; Editing by Giselda Vagnoni and Ed Osmond/Reuters