Lithuanian Paralympic snowboarder Rapolas Micevičius will not attend the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Paralympics, joining other athletes boycotting the event over a decision to allow Russian and Belarusian competitors to take part under their national flags.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for March 6.
However, Asta Narmontė, secretary general of the Lithuanian Paralympic Committee, told BNS on Friday that the decision had been made earlier, partly because the ceremony will take place in a different city from the competitions, which begin the following day.
“We will definitely not be attending the opening ceremony in person. To tell the truth, Rapolas wasn’t even planning to attend because his competition starts the next day,” Narmontė said. “The opening ceremony is a four- to five-hour drive away in Verona, while the snowboarding takes place in Cortina. There is no way that Lithuania will march in that parade with a smile on its face, absolutely not.”
The International Paralympic Committee announced earlier this week that six Russian and four Belarusian athletes would be allowed to compete under their national flags.
Russia and Belarus were barred from the 2022 Winter Paralympics after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Athletes from the two countries were later permitted to compete as neutrals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
The Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee earlier announced it would not attend the ceremony, and Czech athletes have indicated they will join the boycott.
Narmontė said Lithuania is coordinating possible joint action with other countries in the region, including Poland, Latvia and Estonia.
She added that Micevičius, who is making his Paralympic debut in snowboarding, will not have to compete against athletes from Russia or Belarus.
On Thursday, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said she would boycott the Paralympics.
