A member of Belarus’ Paralympics delegation got himself booted from the 2016 Games for holding up a Russian flag during the Opening Ceremonies’ parade of athletes Wednesday night.
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“The individual was quickly identified during the Ceremony as a guest of the Belarus President, who should not have been part of the marching party in the first place”.
IPC spokesman Craig Spence said the Belarussian committee s president has been vocally critical of the decision to bar all Russian athletes from the Paralympics over evidence of a state-run doping program.
“Belarus this morning to remind them that political protests are forbidden at the Paralympic Games”, the IPC said in a statement (via Reuters). “This is the person who unveiled a Russian flag in honour of the Russian Paralympic team and showed solidarity with people who were disgracefully treated in an inhumane way in not be allowed to compete at the Paralympics”, Zakharova told Interfax news agency.
The official violated the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) ban on political gestures. “I would like to stress that this is the stance of our government, of the president and the president of our Paralympic committee”.
“As far as we are concerned this matter is now closed”.
The Belarusian was later named as Andrei Fomachkin.
“During this hard period, he remembered us”.
“Especially in the Paralympic ones that have a special humane meaning”.
“It was the Belarusian delegation’s idea to take the Russian flag to the opening ceremony”, Eismont said.
“We will never forget this and will pay back in their own coin”.
A total of 35 “disappearing positives” were found in Paralympic sport, according to the McLaren Report, between 2012 and 2015.
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IAAF has ruled to sustan ban on Russian Federation meaning their track and field athletes will miss Rio 2016 Games. It’s a way to support the Paralympic athletes from Russian Federation, because we are one family.
