Finland will not participate in the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, scheduled for March 6 in Verona. The Finnish public broadcaster will also drop the live television coverage of the event. The boycott serves as a direct protest against the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Games.
The reasons behind the protest
The Finnish Paralympic Committee (Suomen Paralympiakomitea) confirmed the diplomatic boycott following a formal request for solidarity from Ukraine. The protest targets the recent decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The IPC granted bipartite quota places, commonly known as wildcards, to athletes from Russia and Belarus. These invitations allow athletes to bypass standard qualification results and compete as neutrals.
Sari Rautio, chair of the Finnish committee, explained the official stance. Finnish athletes will still participate in the sporting events to pursue their athletic goals. However, the committee deemed skipping the official ceremony a necessary step. This decision expresses firm opposition to the IPC policies regarding aggressor states.
Broadcasting blackout by Yle
Aligning with the Finnish sports committee, the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yleisradio) announced it will not broadcast the opening ceremony. The public broadcaster views the inaugural parade as a highly symbolic and political event. Consequently, the presence of athletes from Russia and Belarus is problematic for its editorial values.
Despite the blackout of the opening event, Yle confirmed its commitment to the sports coverage. The broadcaster will continue to provide full television coverage of the actual sporting competitions. The focus will remain on the performances of the four Finnish athletes competing in the Games.
The stance of other Nordic and European states
Finland is currently leading the Nordic response. The government officially joined a growing European coalition that includes Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine. Furthermore, the European Commission announced its officials will not attend the event in Verona.
Other Nordic countries are closely monitoring the situation. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland share a long-standing policy of opposing Russian and Belarusian participation in international sports. This stance began after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Swedish Paralympic Committee (Sveriges Paralympiska Kommitté) and the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (Norges idrettsforbund og olympiske og paralympiske komité) are currently evaluating their official participation in the ceremonies.
