German athletes will refuse to take part in the parade of nations at the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony in Verona’s historic Roman amphitheatre on Friday and will not carry their national flag into the stadium. The protest by the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) is aimed at the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to lift sanctions and allow Russian and Belarusian delegations to compete under their own national symbols.
The DBS justified the move by emphasizing that “especially in challenging times, it remains our shared responsibility to visibly embody the Paralympic values and resolutely protect the integrity of sport.” The association added that the Games should be rooted in “fair competition in a peaceful environment where athletes from all over the world can showcase their achievements and personal stories.”
Germany has opted for a compromise—appearing only in pre-recorded segments while refusing to march into the stadium—in order to “respectfully express solidarity with the Ukrainian delegation.” Ukraine had urged countries to boycott the ceremony; Estonia also joined the protest, while most participating nations ignored the appeal.
