Russian athletes were met with boos at the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics in Verona, Italy, amidst political tensions over their participation.
Russian athletes marched under their national flag during the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics in Verona, Italy, and faced boos from the audience. This year's games have been overshadowed by the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to allow Russian athletes to compete under their flag for the first time since 2014, despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In response to the IPC's decision, several countries including Ukraine, Finland, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and the United Kingdom announced they would boycott the opening ceremony for political reasons. The Finnish broadcaster Yle also did not air the opening ceremony as a form of protest.
