MILAN, March 3 – The Ukrainian team changed a planned uniform for the Paralympics, which included a map of the country’s internationally recognized borders, as items linked to national identity are banned, a top official told Reuters.
An alternative uniform was provided and approved by the International Paralympic Committee within 24 hours, IPC Chief Brand and Communications Officer Craig Spence said.
The original draft included a map of Ukraine, including all areas temporarily occupied by Russia, Ukrainian media reported.
The Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics will take place from March 6 to 15, with Ukraine represented by 35 athletes competing in four sports.
According to the IPC rules regarding playing uniforms, the lyrics of the national anthem, motivational words and public or political messages or slogans related to national identity are prohibited.
“The map of a country falls within this category, which is why one item of the Ukrainian uniform for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games was not approved several months ago,” Spence said.
At the Winter Olympics in February, Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified for wearing a custom-made helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed during the Russian invasion that began four years ago.
Ukraine had already announced it will boycott Friday’s opening ceremony in Verona after the IPC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flag and with their national anthems.
