RUSSIA ARE FROZEN OUT
Brit chief relieved at Games ban
HIGH in the mountains outside Beijing, the head of sport at the British Paralympic Association paused and allowed himself a deep breath.
Phil Smith had just heard Russia and Belarus were being kicked out of the Games after a turbulent 24 hours for the Paralympic movement.
“It was starting to become a big distraction away from the Games,” Smith admitted with some degree of understatement.
“Clearly, we welcome the decision. It brings the International Paralympic Committee into line with where our position has been throughout.
“We didn’t feel it was compatible with the values of the Paralympic movement for Russian or Belarusian athletes to compete given what horror we’re seeing unfold in Ukraine.”
A rapidly changing situation may even now not have found its final resting place as Russia have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
That could, in theory at least, force Britain to come face to face with Vladimir Putin’s country in a wheelchair curling match scheduled for Sunday. But for now Smith is simply relieved that the flame to open the Games will be lit today.
He revealed that Britain was not one of the teams threatening to boycott. Nor, he said, did his athletes have firsthand knowledge of what IPC president Andrew Parsons termed a “very, very volatile environment” in theVillage.
“Clearly there were situations,” said Paralympics GB’s chef de mission. “But I’m comfortable none of those involved the British delegation.”
He went on to confirm his curlers had been prepared to play Russia, saying: “Their position was they are here to compete and their preference was to play all games regardless of the opposition.”
Smith hopes that is no longer a concern and that once competition starts tomorrow the focus will turn to Menna Fitzpatrick and Millie Knight, the visually-impaired alpine skiers who won all seven of Britain’s medals in Pyeongchang four years ago.
“We’re really excited to see what this team can do,” he said. “We think it’s our most competitive team yet.”