CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy: Russia won its first Winter Paralympic medals since 2014 on Saturday as Varvara Voronchikhina and Aleksei Bugaev claimed bronze in the women’s and men’s downhill standing events in Cortina.
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Despite Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has allowed six Russian athletes and four from their allies Belarus to represent their countries, accompanied by their national flags, rather than competing as neutrals.
The move sparked a backlash with Friday’s opening ceremony being boycotted by seven countries, including Ukraine, and the Russian delegation was booed by some spectators in the Verona Arena during the athletes parade.
Speaking after winning her nation’s first medal since the 2014 Games in Sochi, 23-year-old Voronchikhina said: “For us it’s been a really long time when we were without a flag.
