Ukrainian Champion's Family Ordered to Remove National Symbols at 2026 Paralympics

Competition Schedule for March 11, 2026

According to Главком: The fifth day of competition at the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Paralympics on March 11, 2026, will feature para alpine skiing as the main event. Ukraine's sole representation at these Games is in this sport, making their performance crucial. The day's events begin at 9:05 AM Kyiv time with mixed team wheelchair curling matches featuring:

• Latvia vs. Norway
• United States vs. South Korea
• Sweden vs. Slovakia
• Great Britain vs. China

The women's sitting class para alpine skiing finals commence at 9:45 AM.

A series of finals in various classifications are scheduled throughout the day:

• 10:10 AM - Men's sitting class final
• 11:05 AM - Women's standing class final
• 11:35 AM - Men's standing class competition
• 12:25 PM - Women's visually impaired athletes
• 12:55 PM - Conclusion of men's competition for visually impaired athletes

Additional Events and Controversial Incident

Further wheelchair curling matches are set for 2:35 PM and 8:05 PM. Notably, the gold medal match between China and South Korea will be held at 2:35 PM. The evening session at 8:05 PM includes matches between:

• Italy and Sweden
• Slovakia and Canada
• Latvia and Great Britain

Among the Ukrainian athletes competing is Liudmyla Liashenko, who has secured two third-place finishes in the World Cup this season. However, the day was marred by controversy when the family of a Ukrainian champion was forced to remove national symbols. Valerii Sushkevych commented on the incident, stating:

“The Ukrainian champion's family traveled from Ternopil, bought tickets, and entered the stadium with a Ukrainian flag and wearing Ukrainian clothing. They were stopped, their flag was confiscated, and the champion's mother had her scarf with a Ukrainian pattern taken away. Only after being stripped of these items, excuse me, were they allowed onto the stadium grounds.”

This competition day is significant for the Ukrainian team, as results in para alpine skiing could impact their overall medal standing. The incident involving the prohibition of national symbols has sparked outrage among Ukrainian supporters and highlights the political tensions that can surface at major international sporting events. Such controversies underscore the challenges athletes from nations in conflict can face beyond the competition itself.