MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday to present Russia’s medal-winning athletes of the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games with state awards.
According to the presidential document, the Russian Paralympians contributed to the "development of national sports, the pinnacle of sporting excellence, the will to win, and displayed their resilience and determination," during the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris in August-September 2024.
Nine athletes were ordered to be awarded with the "Order of Honor," eight more with the "Order of Friendship," and 22 athletes with the 1st and 2nd degree "Orders for the Merit to the Fatherland."
Late last week, Putin announced that he intended to present Russian Paralympians with state awards during a ceremony that would be organized ‘a little bit later’ in the Kremlin.
President Putin stated last week: "A bit later and at the Moscow Kremlin I will be delighted and proud to present them with their deserved state awards."
The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games ran in the French capital of Paris between August 28 and September 8, 2024. Russian Paralympians, who were allowed to participate in the 2024 Games under a neutral status, won 20 gold, 21 silver, and 23 bronze medals.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) had cleared 88 Paralympians from Russia to take part in the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympic Games. They were initially barred from taking part in the Parade of Athletes during the opening and closing ceremonies and also excluded from the 2024 Paralympics overall medal standings.
Russia's route to 2024 Paris Paralympics
On March 6, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) published strict eligibility criteria that Russian and Belarusian athletes and support personnel must meet and adhere to in order to participate as neutrals at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris.
According to the IPC’s requirements "Neutral athletes will compete under a white flag featuring black lettering spelling out NPA [Neutral Paralympic Athletes]." The IPC also ruled that "NPA will compete as individuals in neutral uniforms under an NPA flag, and will not be able to take part in medals ceremonies or march in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies."
On September 29, 2023, the IPC General Assembly ruled at its session in Bahrain to suspend some of the rights the RPC has within the global organization.
However, the IPC General Assembly cleared Russian athletes to participate under a neutral status in international competition, including at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
In mid-March this year, RPC President Pavel Rozhkov told TASS that Russian Paralympians and accompanying staff would don turquoise and beige at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.