BERLIN, March 4 (Reuters) - German athletes will not participate in the teams' parade at the Milano Cortina Paralympics opening ceremony on Friday, in order to express solidarity with Ukraine, the German Paralympic Committee said on Wednesday.
Germany is the latest nation to skip the opening ceremony parade after Russia and Belarus were given participating spots amidthe ongoing war in Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion. At least eight other teams will boycott the ceremony and other countries will not be sending officials.
"We have decided that Team Germany Paralympics will not participate in the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony in Verona," Germany's Paralympic Committee said in a statement. "This decision serves both to focus on the upcoming competitions and to respectfully express our solidarity with the Ukrainian delegation."
"Paralympic athletes embody courage, determination, and the ability to overcome challenges. Especially in challenging times, it remains our shared responsibility to visibly embody the Paralympic values and resolutely protect the integrity of the sport."
It said German para athletes would still take part in pre-recorded segments that will be broadcast during the opening ceremony.
The International Paralympic Committee expects a record number of athletes at the Games — more than 600 — with final confirmation due in the coming days.
Among registered competitors, 10 are from Russia and Belarus after the Paralympic committees from both nations had all sanctions against them lifted in September 2025.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
