The powerful message of the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony that jars with Russia’s return

Russia and Belarus returned to the Paralympic stage at the opening ceremony in Verona SportOlympicsParalympicsThe powerful message of the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony that jars with Russia’s returnRussia and Belarus returned to the Paralympic stage at the opening ceremony in VeronaLaura Howard Sportsbeat, in Verona Friday 06 March 2026 21:37 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in gallery(REUTERS)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. 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We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreFor a Paralympic Opening Ceremony aimed at celebrating inclusion, the athletes that could not be in attendance spoke louder than any visual spectacle in Verona.The heartbeat projection that illuminated the Arena di Verona to symbolise humanity, felt awkwardly antithetical to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)’s decision to allow Russia and Belarus to enter under their flags.For no matter how good a show the Italians put on in Verona, it appeared there had been a fundamental misunderstanding of what inclusion should mean before a stone had even been curled.open image in galleryThe Russian flag made its return to the opening ceremony (AP)While Russia and Belarus walked into the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre behind their flags for the first time since 2014, it meant seven nations felt unable to attend on political grounds.Ukraine, who have been subject to an ongoing invasion by Russia since 2022, were part of a boycott of the ceremony that also included the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland.RecommendedThe Paralympics are welcoming Russia back to the Winter Games – and this is just the startIran will not compete at Winter Paralympics as lone athlete is forced to withdrawGovernment joins boycott of Winter Paralympics ceremonies in protest of Russia returnGreat Britain, meanwhile, chose not to send officials to either the opening or closing ceremony to demonstrate their own disagreement with the decision.They were decisions that spat in the face of the words of IPC President Andrew Parsons, who acknowledged the difficulties ongoing across the world before declaring the Games free from politics.The reality, of course, is very different no matter how well-intended the sentiment.“In a world where some countries are better known by the names of their leaders, I prefer to know countries by the names of their athletes,” he said.open image in galleryRussian athletes at the opening ceremony in Verona (REUTERS)“Here nations gather as neighbours. The Paralympic village is a living model of what society should be. A place free from politics and where opportunity is open to all.”Parsons acknowledged his own comments four years ago on the Russian invasion of Ukraine but failed to justify what had since changed to welcome Russian and Belarussian athletes back into the Paralympic fold.The ceremony itself was meaning, with performances that put disability front and centre to provide meaningful representation from the outset.Part one, titled ‘vibes’, riffed off the Milano Cortina motto ‘IT’s your vibe’, before the second part, ‘spaces’, highlighted the way in which disability emerges because of barriers imposed by society as closed doors and walls symbolised those challenges.In the centre of Verona’s amphitheatre, it was an impressive spectacle as futuristic optical illusions and lighting juxtaposed the Roman architecture in the background.open image in gallery(REUTERS)And the thought put into those visuals extended beyond just creating an aesthetic spectacle.The Roman venue was intentionally chosen to be made fully accessible without any permanent damage to show that if accessibility is possible in a venue that is two millennia old, where is the excuse for anywhere else to continue to keep those doors closed?But unintentionally, the ceremony also demonstrated that complete accessibility and inclusion extend beyond accommodations at one venue.The Arena di Verona, while symbolically and visually breath-taking, sits separate to any of the clusters where athletes are staying or competing.It meant with many of the sports getting underway on Saturday, swathes of athletes were unable to atte