ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the International Paralympic Committee’s actions and reactions related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the decision on whether to allow teams from Russia and Belarus to compete at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games. The 48-hour period between March 2 and 3, 2022, which publicly tested the International Paralympic Committee’s governance and leadership, is examined through the description and interpretation of media, athletes, National Paralympic Committees, and the Beijing Organizing Committee. The chapter highlights how the initial invasion period of the war in Ukraine shaped the governance of elite disability sport and the role that different voices played in the diplomatic aspects of this sporting diplomatic situation.
