Paralympics - Bann for Russians and Belaruses: IPC rudds reluctantly back

The IPC takes a unique role backwards and closes the Russian and Belarusian athletes from the plays in Beijing - but not voluntary.

• IPC: Great concerns about safety in the villages
• DBS welcomes Paralympics exclusion of Russia and Belarus'

The pressure was too big - according to numerous boycott threats, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is also bent: the Russian and Belarusian athletes are not allowed to start at the Paralympics in Beijing. No 20 hours after the more than controversial approval, the IPC probably made a role unique in this capture, but without granting a separate wrong decision - it simply remained no other choice.

"It was a high number of athletes, NPCs and teams who have announced not to contact Russia," said IPC President Andrew Parsons. As a result, the implementation of the games was "endangered" and a turnaround has been indispensable.

"It's a roller coaster ride of the feelings," said Friedhelm Julius Boucher. The President of the German Disability Sports Association (DBS) sees in the new decision "a strong sign of democracy within the Paralympic movement. The co-standing very many nations has taken care of the urgent needed rethinking."

He feels "no satisfaction," said Chef de Mission Karl Quade, "but for the Paralympics and the special location here there is the only right decision to perform the games facial."

As almost the only major sports association, according to the decision of Wednesday, the Russians and Belaruses wanted to continue to compete against Ukraine as neutral athletes under the Paralympic flag despite the attacking crawl of their home countries - a storm of indignation from many sides.

"I do not think we underestimated the situation," Parsons said. It had gone to "true the principles and values ​​of this organization and keeping war out of these games".

IPC: Great concerns about safety in the villages

But the now escalating situation have the IPC "brought into a unique and impossible location". In the villages there have been "great concerns about safety". "We have no evidence of aggression in the Paralympic villages," the 45-year-old led out. But you want to wool "exclude this. The villages are not places for fighting."

It is therefore "the right" decision, even if "no one is happy with it," says Parsons. Athletes Germany criticized that the IPC "made this decision from pure self-protection and not in response to Russian aggression and the break of Olympic Peace". DBS-athlete spokeswoman Mareike Miller wrote at Twitter that she is "ashamed because it does not sound like that as the IPC was now at least convinced by this decision".

Still on Thursday morning, among other things, three Russian athletes were there in the departure training of the Alpine, but then refused any interviews. A few hours later followed for all 83 athletes of the spell. Parsons apologized to those affected. "Of course we feel with the athletes," he said, "They are victims of their governments' actions." The IPC ray now with legal steps of the Russian Paralympic Committee.

On the previous day, the umbrella organization was based on its decision that this could be tilted by a court in the face of the lack of legal basis in the Paralymp Charter. That was the IPC after the enormous threaten-worried associations then but no matter. "It's better to act now than to wait until something happens. There has been a lot since last night," said Parsons.

Quade hopes with the exclusion now "a foundation created so that fair competitions take place and the athletes and athletes from all over the world can set a sign of peace".

DBS welcomes Paralympics exclusion of Russia and Belarus'

The German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) welcomes the decision of the IPC Meanwhile. "It's a wonderful turnaround," said DBS-President Friedhelm Julius Courier: "We, the athletes, but also the most national Paralympic committees have fallen a unlikely load."

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Even DOSB boss Thomas Weikert sees the turnaround as "only possible response to the world's protests. The world community sends clear messages towards Russian and Belarusian aggressors." International sports must be "equally clear" in the conviction of the attack on Ukraine "as well as the UN General Assembly with its shoulder on Wednesday, said the President of the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB).