Since 2023, Russian athletes have been permitted to compete only in an individual neutral status. The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games are scheduled to take place in Italy from March 6 to 15.
The General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has decided to reinstate the full membership status of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC).
This decision came after a two-stage vote held in Seoul. In the first stage, which addressed the complete suspension of the Russian organization, 111 delegates voted against a full suspension, 55 voted for it, and 11 abstained. In the second round, focusing on reversing the partial suspension of the RPC, 91 votes were cast in favor, 77 against, and 8 delegates abstained.
The Russian Paralympic Committee expressed satisfaction with the fair outcome of the vote, affirming its intention to make every effort to ensure Russian Paralympians will once again compete at international tournaments under the IPC`s auspices with their national flag, anthem, and team uniform.
Expert Opinion
Natalya Maryanchik, editor of Sports.ru, described the event as incredible:
“This news is so astonishing that if it were April 1st today, I would absolutely not believe it. The reinstatement of the Russian Paralympic Committee means that our athletes will participate in competitions under full conditions: with our flag, anthem, the right to independently form the team roster, without the additional admission commissions that Olympic athletes face. This will be a full-fledged team, and each federation will determine its own selection principles. Why now? Because the Winter Paralympic Games are just around the corner. Now, we need to sort out the selection criteria, as they are individual for each Paralympic sport. It will be necessary to evaluate rankings and placements in qualifying competitions. It is crucial now to urgently determine how to proceed and how many of our athletes will ultimately qualify. I think our Olympic athletes can only be envious of this. This decision applies exclusively to the Paralympics. However, by analogy with Olympic sports, international federations usually follow such precedents. It is likely that the same will happen here, but it will take some time. Primarily, this is relevant for winter sports federations, as the season has already begun, and they need to urgently resolve selection issues. For summer sports, including athletics, this matter might be postponed until next season.”
When asked if this decision implies a possible admission of Russian Olympians, Maryanchik responded:
“These two issues are not directly related. While this can be considered a positive signal, there is no direct impact on the admission of Olympians. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make its own decisions based on its own considerations.”
Nevertheless, despite the full reinstatement of the RPC, at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in India, Russian Paralympians will compete in a neutral and individual status. The World Para Athletics Federation explained this by stating that athletes were admitted to these competitions under the regulations for neutral countries, and making changes to the protocol at this stage is practically impossible.
The Russian Paralympic Committee was suspended from participating in the Games in 2022. In 2023, Russian Paralympians were granted permission to participate in the Summer Games in Paris, but only under a neutral status.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth