Winter Paralympics: Ukraine athletes yet to arrive in Beijing ahead of Games
- International Paralympic Committee says country’s 20 participants have yet to arrive for event which opens on Friday
- Officials will not confirm where the athletes are but hopeful they will get to China in time
None of the 20 athletes from the Ukrainian Paralympic team has reached Beijing with the Games opening at the end of the week, the International Paralympic Committee said Monday.
IPC spokesman Craig Spence, in an interview with Associated Press, said he was hopeful the athletes would arrive in China for Friday’s opening ceremony despite difficult logistics.
He declined to disclose the team’s whereabouts, citing safety concerns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We’re in regular dialogue with Ukraine about their participation at the Games, and we’re working hard behind the scenes to get them here,” Spence said.
He said there were no flights out of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. In addition, flights entering China for the Paralympics – as well as for the just-closed Olympics – can originate only from a few designated hub airports.
This is part of China’s severe “closed-loop system” for the Olympics and Paralympics, which limits athletes, staff and journalists to designated hotels, venues, and a media centre with no contact with Beijing and its 20 million residents.
“For several reason we are not confirming their location or providing specific updates,” Spence said. “The health and welfare of the delegation is our No. 1 priority. The less said about where they are, the better.”
