MOSCOW, Mar 3 The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the Beijing Games due to the threat of a mass boycott by other participants, according to the official website of the organization. «Over the past 12 hours, a huge number of participants have contacted us and were very open, for which I am grateful. They told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have serious consequences for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Several National Paralympic Committees, contacted by their governments, teams and athletes, are threatening not to compete,” IPC John Parsons. The Russian Paralympic Committee said that it considers the decision illegal and reserves the right to challenge it in court. The day before, the IPC decided to allow Russian and Belarusian x athletes in neutral status, it was noted that their awards would not be counted in the unofficial medal standings of the Games. At the same time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) previously recommended that sports organizations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete.
