Australia Boycotts Paralympics Opening Ceremony

0:00In Sydney is March 6. Here's what is happening. Australia is joining a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony in Milan, Cortina this Friday night. The country will not send government officials to protest the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus. This move aligns Australia with nations like Britain and Canada amid ongoing tensions over Russia's role in global sports. Six athletes from Russia and four from Belarus have been cleared to compete by the International Paralympic Committee. It marks the first time Russian athletes will compete under their own flag at the Paralympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi. Russia and Belarus were previously banned from the 2022 Paralympics after the invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian community leaders in Australia have pushed hard for a tougher stance, urging petitions against the inclusion of those athletes. Australia says its team will still join the ceremony and parade, but with a smaller group due to competitions the next day. Several European countries, including the Czech Republic, Estonia,

1:04Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, are also skipping the event. Entirely, officials expect fewer than 60 percent of competing nations to send full delegations to the Irina, Deverona. IPC President Andrew Parsons has defended the decision, noting it came from a vote by member organizations last September. He stressed the focus on delivering the games while acknowledging backlash in some areas. Deianin is brought to you by our sponsor. Podcast hit different when the sound comes from your pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense, S-O-L-I-SoliPilo.com.