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2026 Winter Paralympics open in Verona amid Russian return and boycotts
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The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics launched with an opening ceremony at Verona's Arena di Verona on March 6, featuring the return of the Russian flag after years of bans, boycotts by several nations, and celebrations of the Games' 50th anniversary amid global tensions. IPC president Andrew Parsons addressed ongoing conflicts as record participation and preliminary events kicked off.
During a Round of 32 match at the ATX Open, the Russian flag momentarily displayed next to player Oksana Selekhmeteva's name on the scoreboard, prompting online debate. The flag vanished quickly, amid ongoing policies barring such displays since 2022. This incident echoes a prior administrative error involving another Russian player.