3: 20 p. m. ET — At the opening ceremony of paralympique 2026, four members of the Russian delegation marched under their national flag a little before 9: 00 p. m. local (3: 00 p. m. ET) in Verona, a confirmed return of the country to the Games under its own banner. Unconfirmed as of 3: 20 p. m. ET is whether the Russian national anthem was played during the ceremony; that question will be resolved by an official statement from the International Paralympic Committee or other ceremony records.
Russian Delegation Return in Verona and Public Reaction
The ceremony in Verona featured confirmed public reactions: a portion of spectators booed the Russian athletes, while the Ukrainian delegation was met with warm applause, a confirmed contrast in audience response. President Sergio Mattarella attended and declared the Paralympic Games open at 9: 20 p. m. local (3: 20 p. m. ET), and the opening sequence included a confirmed sound-and-light show built around the theme “la vie en mouvement. ” Stewart Copeland, the drummer of The Police, performed as part of the spectacle.
Paralympique 2026: Boycotts by National Committees and Political Leaders
Still, several national paralympic committees confirmed they did not attend the opening ceremony: Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. Several governments or senior officials also abstained from attending the parade; confirmed examples include France’s sports minister Marina Ferrari and the British government. For delegations that did not appear in person, France, Great Britain, Canada and Germany had athletes appear in videos shown during the parade. Ten athletes from Russia and Belarus attended the Games by invitation from the International Paralympic Committee, a confirmed delegation count noted by the IPC.
Athlete Withdrawals and Medal Highlights: Iran and Canada
Yet the opening day also included confirmed competitive and roster developments: Canada secured three medals on day one and its para-hockey team had a confirmed strong debut, per a day-one summary. Separately, Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, a 23-year-old Iranian para-athlete, confirmed his absence after being unable to join Italy “in full safety” because of the war in the Middle East; he had been scheduled to compete in two para cross-country events. Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, issued a confirmed statement expressing regret about the Iranian athlete’s absence and delivered a speech described as somber during the ceremony.
That said, one specific ceremonial element remains labeled unconfirmed as of 3: 20 p. m. ET: whether the Russian anthem was heard at the opening. If the IPC or ceremony organizers confirm the anthem was played, it would mark the first time the anthem sounded at the Games under the Russian flag since 2014, a concrete historical note embedded in the official record.
For now, the next confirmed public milestone is the formal competition schedule that follows the opening ceremony; the single confirmed timestamp tied to the ceremony is Mattarella’s declaration at 9: 20 p. m. local (3: 20 p. m. ET). If an official IPC statement confirms additional invitations or any further withdrawals, those announcements will resolve outstanding questions about delegations and the anthem during the time frame of the ceremony.
