In a bid to unearth potential curling talents for Jamaica's international representation, Vice President of Curling Jamaica, Robert Richards, outlined three key avenues during the launch of Curling Jamaica at the Jamaica Olympic Association's headquarters in Kingston.

A former president of the Jamaica Badminton Association and national badminton champion, Richards expressed his commitment to Curling Jamaica's mission, especially with President Ian Anderson's ambitious goal of securing Olympic gold by 2040. Speaking at the launch on Monday, Richards emphasized the three areas from which they aim to identify and develop curling talents.

"The development of this sport is going to come from, of course, those based overseas, and there are three avenues that we're going to take on to actually have the sport developed," said Richards. The first avenue involves Jamaicans based overseas, particularly those waiting for an opportunity or currently participating in another sport. Richards sees potential among young Jamaicans in colleges, not only in Canada and the US but also in Europe.

The second avenue focuses on students leaving Jamaica to study abroad. Traditionally, sports like football and track and field have been the primary choices, but with the establishment of the Curling Association, students now have an additional option. This diversification allows talented youngsters to explore new avenues and consider curling as a viable sporting path.

The third avenue involves collaboration with the Canadian team to identify potential curling talents in Jamaican schools. The vision includes sponsoring selected youngsters to attend the Curling Academy in Canada, covering their accommodation and training expenses. This initiative aims to nurture talent from an early age and potentially pave the way for scholarships and further opportunities in the sport.

Earlier, JOA Secretary General and CEO Ryan Foster welcomed Curling Jamaica to the Olympic family during the launch.

Foster highlighted the significance of Jamaica's expansion into winter sports, citing the growth in disciplines like skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, and now curling. He commended Curling Jamaica for contributing to the country's multiplicity of representation in the Winter Olympics, opening avenues for potential medals.

Foster assured Curling Jamaica of the Jamaica Olympic Association's support in fostering a holistic approach to sports governance, including educational perspectives, coaching development, equipment resources, and infrastructure support. He expressed pride in the association's open-minded approach to sports, expanding from 36 to 52 sporting disciplines.

In closing, Foster welcomed Curling Jamaica to the Jamaica Olympic family, expressing hope that the organization would manage the sport with enthusiasm, providing hope to athletes and embodying the national motto, "Out of Many, One People." He pledged the JOA's unwavering support in Curling Jamaica's quest for achievement, emphasizing the shared commitment to success in the Winter Olympics.

Lizzy Yarnold became Britain’s most successful Winter Olympian on this day in 2018 when she overcame illness to retain her skeleton title in Pyeongchang.

Yarnold, from Sevenoaks in Kent, snatched victory on her fourth and final run with a new track record to make it back-to-back gold medals after her triumph at Sochi 2014.

Laura Deas claimed bronze as Britain won two medals in the same event for the first time at a Winter Olympics.

Yarnold went into the final day 0.10secs off the pace after complaining of feeling dizzy, but cut the deficit as overnight leader Jacqueline Lolling of Germany slipped back to third place after the third round.

The Sochi 2014 champion trailed Austria’s Janine Flock by 0.02 ahead of the final run, meaning Yarnold was the penultimate slider to take to the track and had to watch her rival’s performance.

The Briton clocked a track record of 51.46secs to take the lead in thrilling fashion and Flock floundered, relinquishing her spot on the podium to spark jubilant celebrations among a sizeable British contingent at the Olympic Sliding Centre, including Welsh racer Deas.

An emotional Yarnold, who became Britain’s most decorated Winter Olympian, said: “I’m overwhelmed and exhausted. I don’t really know how it happened.

“After the first run I wasn’t sure whether I was going to be able to finish the race because my chest infection was so bad I was struggling to breathe and I got here only with the help of my team.

“I guess four years ago, three years ago, the whole team all dared to dream that this was possible and I just went with them all and we managed it.”

With Deas finishing third behind Lolling, and Izzy Atkin having earlier secured bronze in the women’s ski slopestyle, it was the first time Britain had won three Winter Olympic medals on the same day, overtaking the record two from Chamonix in 1924.

The Jamaica Ski Federation (JSF) aims to transform qualification into medals in competition at global sporting championships. What was once a novelty for the sunny isle of Jamaica has now become a regular occurrence with Jamaican athletes and teams lining up on start lists for the world’s biggest events on ice.

That growing trend has seen Jamaica glide into the ongoing Winter Youth Olympic Games, dubbed ‘Gangwon 2024, in South Korea, with Henri Rivers IV and his twin sister Henniyah providing first-time individual representation in Alpine skiing.

Acknowledging their growing influence, secretary general of the JSF, Ryan Foster, says they are pleased with their historic qualification and will advance the preparation of its athletes for Olympic Games, with the ultimate goal to secure podium spots.

“The Jamaica Ski Federation is excited about this new chapter in Jamaica’s journey into Winter Olympic sports. We had success in Winter Olympics with Benjamin Alexander’s qualification and now having two qualifiers in the Youth Winter Olympics,” he observed.

“This is historic and we will be ramping up our efforts to qualify more athletes for the sport. Our aim is to learn and grow from each chapter to ultimately seeking to medal in the sport. Sport is a business and the novelty of just qualifying has worn out and we need to provide avenues and opportunities for our athletes to medal,” Foster stated.

“The Jamaica Ski Federation has many plans in place to include our coaching programme, increased participation in competitions, as well as the purchasing of equipment to compete at an international level,” he announced.

Henri IV and Henniyah are actually two-thirds of a triplet of skiers, which is completed by Helaina. Their parents, Henri and Karen, are both ski instructors and coaches who the 16-year-olds say have taught them well.

The senior Henri, of the family who lives in Brooklyn, New York, has been instrumental in the development of skiing talent among black athletes and was president of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, the largest African American ski council in the world, with over 50 clubs in the United States and United Kingdom.

The twins qualified to represent Jamaica through their Jamaican-born mom Karen and shared that they are happy to have connected to their roots in this way.

“I thank the Jamaica Ski Federation and the Jamaica Olympic Association for allowing me to represent Jamaica on a global scale. This trip means a lot to me in so many ways; being able to compete against other athletes and nations from all over the world, and to see the excitement on their faces when they receive a Jamaican pin. It’s like getting a golden ticket to go to the chocolate factory,” Henri IV lit up. “I didn't understand it, but I became eager to be a part of their excitement.

“But the most important thing to me is the fact that I’m able to race at a high level representing Jamaica, a place that doesn't have snow,” continued Henri IV, who has a world ranking of 34.

“My goal is to perform at my best and to hopefully inspire the next generation of young Jamaican snow sports athletes.”

Henniyah was just as appreciative, bubbling at the opportunity to represent Jamaica.

“I am very excited to be here in Gangwon, Korea, experiencing and competing in the 2024 Youth Olympic Games. I appreciate and thank the Jamaica Ski Federation and the Jamaica Olympic Association for giving me this opportunity,” she admitted.

“I’m fortunate alpine skiing has given me the potential to represent my mother’s homeland. I am thrilled to ski here this week, I’m excited to perform and do what I love, and I am truly excited to embrace Jamaica through winter sports,” Henniyah, ranked 39^th, continued. “I will never forget this extraordinary experience and this journey helps me connect with my heritage.”

Foster, in the meantime, remains positive, yet inspired by the national skiing federation’s prospects.

“The Rivers triplets are trendsetters and we will be pushing to expand from here,” he said. “Jamaica is now a force to be reckoned with in Winter Sports."

Mikaela Shiffrin continued her record-breaking run with a 21st career giant slalom victory and 88th FIS Alpine World Cup triumph on Sunday.

American Shiffrin became the greatest skier of all time as she surpassed Ingemar Stenmark's haul of 86 World Cup wins with a giant slalom triumph last week in Are.

The 28-year-old laid down further benchmarks in Andorra, defeating Norway's Thea Louise Stjernesund by 0.06 seconds as Canada's Valerie Grenier finished in third.

That victory saw Shiffrin set the record for women's World Cup giant slalom wins, surpassing Vreni Schneider's 20, as she claimed a record-extending 88th overall triumph at the competition.

Shiffrin also moved past Lindsey Vonn as the woman with the most podium finishes in World Cup races, just a day after equalling the record, but says her most important achievement came nine years ago.

"Honestly, I think probably being the youngest Olympic slalom champion," Shiffrin, who was 18 when she won her first Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games, said when asked about her greatest record.

"That was really the only record that I actually ever wanted, like really shot for.

"It happened quite some time ago, and I'm still motivated today; I still had that nervous feeling up there. I was so nervous at the start ... because you want to do well.

"And it doesn't matter about records. It's just you want to do well."

Shiffrin was interviewed by her boyfriend Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the men's World Cup downhill champion, and somewhat lost for words when asked about her next plans after an incredible season.

"I don't know, you guys tell me. Just keep moving right along," she responded, before joking to Kilde: "We can discuss that later, in private."

Another remarkable outing meant Shiffrin finished with a career-best World Cup points tally of 2,206, only Slovenian Tina Maze's 2,414 in 2013 marks a better return in the all-time rankings.

Mikaela Shiffrin found it "very hard to comprehend" becoming the greatest skier of all time after her sensational record-breaking 87th FIS Alpine World Cup victory in Are on Saturday.

A day after equalling the great Ingemar Stenmark's haul of 86 World Cup wins with a giant slalom triumph, the legendary American moved out on her own in Sweden.

The 27-year-old was a class apart in the slalom event, continuing her dominance to make history.

A blistering first run of 50.93 seconds gave her a commanding lead and she was even quicker second time around, clocking 50.84 to win by almost a second.

Shiffrin said: "Very hard to comprehend that thought. My brother and sister-in-law are here, I didn't know they were coming. That made it so special. Holy c***.

"To the whole team, especially all the people who have helped me this whole season and my whole career, all the people who are reaching out know, it’s pretty incredible, I just want to say thank you for that."

There appears to be no stopping Shiffrin, who will head to the World Cup Finals in Soldeu, Andorra next week knowing she has achieved what has never been done before.

Shiffrin's big moment came 11 years after she won her first World Cup race.

Wendy Holdener was second, with Anna Swenn Larsson third in her homeland.

Mikaela Shiffrin tied the all-time record for Alpine Skiing World Cup wins with a dominant victory in Friday's giant slalom race in Are.

Shiffrin levelled the mark set by the great Ingemar Stenmark, the American doing so in Stenmark's home country of Sweden.

She led the way by 0.58 seconds after the first run and was faultless on the second to claim triumph ahead of Federica Brignone and Sweden's Sara Hector.

The win sees her add the giant slalom globe to her overall and slalom globes for this season and puts her in position to break Stenmark's record in Saturday's slalom at the same venue.

Speaking after her historic win at the scene of her first World Cup success, Shiffrin said: "It was just a spectacular day.

"I knew the GS globe was locked in [her only challenger Lara Gut-Behrami failed to finish her first run] before I raced, I just wanted to push and fight for it. That's amazing.

"After the overall and the slalom globe, the biggest real dream the rest of the season was the GS globe. I just tried to earn it."

Shiffrin's 86th win came from her 245th start. Her 246th could see her solidified as the greatest World Cup skier of all time.

Teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva's case has been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) determined it was "wrong" for her to be cleared of "fault or negligence".

Valieva tested positive for performance-enhancing drug trimetazidine on December 25, 2021, but was able to compete in the 2022 Games in Beijing at the age of 15.

The Russian was cleared to take to the ice in "exceptional circumstances", largely due to her age ensuring she was considered to be a "protected person" under WADA rules.

She won a team gold medal in Beijing and won the European Championships singles title in Tallinn last year.

In January, a Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) disciplinary tribunal deemed Valieva – now 16 – bore "no fault or negligence" for the positive test, meaning the only sanction she faced was the disqualification of her results on the day of the initial sample collection.

WADA requested a copy of the full reasoning for further inspection and is now taking the case to CAS, believing RUSADA's decision falls foul of its code.

A statement, released on Tuesday, read: "Further to its statement of January 13, 2023, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has carefully reviewed the full reasoned decision and file related to the case of Russian Olympic Committee figure skater, Kamila Valieva.

"Accordingly, WADA considers the finding by the disciplinary tribunal of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency that the athlete bore 'no fault or negligence' to be wrong under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code in this case and has exercised its right to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"Within the appeal, WADA is seeking a four-year period of ineligibility and disqualification of all the athlete's results from the date of the sample collection on December 25, 2021. As it has sought to do throughout this process, WADA will continue to push for this matter to proceed without further undue delay.

"Given the case is now pending before CAS, WADA can make no further comment at this time."

Mikaela Shiffrin made history on Tuesday by winning an 83rd World Cup race, triumphing in Kronplatz with another giant slalom masterclass.

Just 16 days after Shiffrin equalled fellow American Lindsey Vonn's record tally of 82nd victories in Kranjska Gora, she moved out on her own as the most successful female World Cup alpine skier of all time.

The remarkable 27-year-old beat Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami by 45 hundredths of a second to take the top step of the podium, with Italy's Federica Brignone in third place.

Shiffrin is enjoying an outstanding season, with this her fourth win of the past five giant slalom races.

She was fastest in both runs with another imperious exhibition of giant slalom skiing and now stands just three victories away from matching Swede Ingemar Stenmark's record number of wins for any skier of 86.

Shiffrin said on a momentous day in the Dolomites: "I was a bit nervous for the second run, but mostly I hate waiting, and finally when it was time to go, then everything went quiet and I just pushed as hard as I could every turn.

"I was a little bit wild in some spots, but it felt so clean. I thought I wouldn't be faster [than Gut-Behrami], but I thought I could maybe be close and then somehow I got to the finish."

Shiffrin has racked up 51 slalom victories in an astonishing career, more than any other skier in the discipline, while she is only two victories shy of Vreni Schneider's record of 20 World Cup giant slalom triumphs.

A Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) disciplinary tribunal has ruled that teenage ice skater Kamila Valieva was not guilty of any "fault or negligence" for her failed drugs test ahead of the Winter Olympics last year.

Valieva tested positive for performance-enhancing drug trimetazidine in December 2021, but was able to compete in the 2022 Games in Beijing at the age of 15.

The Russian was cleared to take to the ice in "exceptional circumstances", largely due to her age ensuring she was considered to be a "protected person" under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

It was revealed on Friday that RUSADA will not sanction Valieva, now aged 16, aside from the disqualification of her results on the date of the sample collection on Christmas Day in 2021.

She won a team gold medal in Beijing and won the European Championships singles title in Tallinn last year.

WADA has requested a copy of the full reasoned decision made by RUSADA and "will not hesitate to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as appropriate."

A WADA statement added: "The decision in this case comes in the wake of WADA's announcement on 8 November 2022 that following an unacceptable delay by RUSADA in rendering a decision in this matter, the Agency had referred it directly to CAS.

"In that referral, WADA sought a four-year period of ineligibility for the athlete. Following a full review of the RUSADA decision, WADA will consider what its next steps will be so that the matter is dealt with as quickly as possible and without further undue delay.

"WADA can make no further comment until it has received and reviewed the reasoned decision and case file."

Two-time Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

The 39-year-old Norwegian, who retired in 2019, on Saturday revealed his prognosis looks "very good" after he was given an early diagnosis and underwent surgery.

He posted on social media: "The last few weeks have been different. But I'm able to say weeks and not months because of great medical help, a little luck and a good decision.

"Very grateful for the public healthcare system in Norway. Thank you! But it's that good first decision that I want to talk about now. 

"I felt a change in my body. I wasn't sure what it was, or if it was anything at all. But I decided to have it checked out. I went to see a doctor, and was quickly transferred to the hospital where they confirmed what the doctor suspected. Testicle cancer.

"Tests, scans and surgery all happened very quickly. And already after the first week I knew the prognoses looked very good. All thanks to that first decision to go see a doctor as soon as I suspected something was off."

Svindal won super-G gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and claimed the downhill title in Pyeongchang four years ago.

He also won nine World Championship medals, two overall World Cup titles and nine World Cup discipline titles in a stellar career.

Russia is planning to appeal against the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision to ban the country's athletes from the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, according to Oleg Matytsin, the country's Minister of Sport.

The IPC confirmed the decision to bar both Russian and Belarusian Paralympians from the games on Thursday, reversing an earlier announcement that they would be able to participate as neutrals.

Russia's ban was announced just a day before the Beijing Games are scheduled to begin, after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had called for such a measure in the face of international pressure and boycott threats from athletes.

Matytsin, speaking to the state-owned news agency TASS, confirmed that Russia is now working on an emergency appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"We are currently working to establish our legal position to file lawsuits on the protection of our athletes' rights, against the discrimination of athletes based on their ethnicity and the use of sports as a tool of a political pressure," he said.

"Today's decision of the International Paralympic Committee to bar our team is a blatant violation of athletes' rights and a manipulation of the Olympic Charter and human lives' values in pursuit of political goals.

"It is extremely inadmissible to put in action any type of sanctions with regard to [Russia's] Paralympians, who have already arrived for the tournament.

"We are drafting a lawsuit to be considered before the Opening Ceremony and the actual start [of the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games]."

The IPC's decision came one week after Russia invaded Ukraine and means that a 71-strong team of Russian Paralympians will be forced to sit out the Games, barring the success of an appeal.

Ukraine, meanwhile, will have 29 representatives in Beijing, while Russian athletes or teams have also been hit with bans by bodies such as the World Athletics Council, FIFA and UEFA, as the international sporting community attempts to apply pressure to the nation.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been banned from the 2022 Winter Olympics following a U-turn by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The IPC announced on Wednesday that the two nations were set to compete in Beijing, albeit under the Paralympic flag and without being included in the medal table.

That was despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) calling for athletes from Russia and Belarus to be prevented from taking part in all international sporting competitions.

However, just a day before the Games are due to begin, the IPC has reversed its decision amid fierce backlash and threats of boycotts.

It means 83 athletes will now no longer be able to compete in the nine-day event, including a 71-strong team from Russia.

IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement on Thursday: "At the IPC we are very firm believers that sport and politics should not mix. However, by no fault of its own the war has now come to these Games and behind the scenes many governments are having an influence on our cherished event.

"The IPC is a membership-based organisation, and we are receptive to the views of our member organisations. When our members elected the board in December 2021 it was to maintain and uphold the principles, values, and rules of the Paralympic Movement.  

"As board members that is a responsibility and duty we take extremely seriously. In taking our decision yesterday we were looking at the long-term health and survival of the Paralympic Movement.  

"We are fiercely proud of the principles and values that have made the Movement what it is today. However, what is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique and impossible position so close to the start of the Games."

The new announcement comes a week on from Russia invading Ukraine, with neighbouring Belarus effectively used as a staging post for part of the advance.

A joint statement from Ukrainian athletes and the Global Athlete group condemned the IPC's original ruling on Wednesday, accusing the governing body of issuing "another blow" to every Ukrainian athlete and citizen.

Parsons explained that the situation in the athletes' village had become "untenable", leading to the surprise U-turn on the eve of the event.

"Yesterday we said we would continue to listen, and that is what we are doing," he said. "In the last 12 hours an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us and been very open, for which I am grateful.  

"They have told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is now likely to have grave consequences for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Multiple NPCs, some of which have been contacted by their governments, teams and athletes, are threatening not to compete.

"Ensuring the safety and security of athletes is of paramount importance to us and the situation in the athlete villages is escalating and has now become untenable. 

"In order to preserve the integrity of these Games and the safety of all participants, we have decided to refuse the athlete entries from RPC and NPC Belarus. 

"To the Para athletes from the impacted countries, we are very sorry that you are affected by the decisions your governments took last week in breaching the Olympic Truce. You are victims of your governments' actions. 

"Athlete welfare is and always will be a key concern for us. As a result of today's decision 83 Para athletes are directly impacted by this decision. However, if RPC and NPC Belarus remain here in Beijing then nations will likely withdraw. We will likely not have a viable Games. If this were to happen, the impact would be far wider reaching.

"I hope and pray that we can get back to a situation when the talk and focus is fully on the power of sport to transform the lives of persons with disabilities, and the best of humanity."

The World Athletics Council announced on Tuesday that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be excluded from all World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future.

A number of other sporting federations, including FIFA and UEFA, have also banned teams and athletes from Belarus and Russia.

Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete at the 2022 Winter Paralympics as neutrals, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed.

The IPC made the announcement on Wednesday, two days before the nine-day event is scheduled to officially begin in Beijing.

While competitors from Russia and Belarus have been cleared to take part in the global showpiece, they must compete under the Paralympic flag and will not be included in the medal table.

IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement: "The IPC and wider Paralympic Movement is greatly concerned by the gross violation of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarusian governments in the days prior to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. 

"The IPC Governing Board is united in its condemnation of these actions and was in agreement that they cannot go unnoticed or unaddressed.

"In deciding what actions the IPC should take, it was fundamental that we worked within the framework of our new constitution to remain politically neutral and within the IPC Handbook, the rules and regulations that govern the Paralympic Movement. 

"Such neutrality is firmly anchored in the genuine belief that sport holds the transformative power to overcome our shortcomings and summon from within us the best of our humanity, especially in the darkest of moments.

"What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules."

The announcement comes six days on from Russian president Vladimir Putin ordering an invasion of Ukraine, with neighbouring Belarus effectively used as a staging post for Russian military.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) this week called for athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus to be prevented from taking part in all international sporting competitions.

In a statement issued on Monday, the IOC's executive board accused the governments of Russia and Belarus of a "breach of the Olympic Truce" following the attack on Ukraine.

Referencing that statement, Parsons declared further sanctions may follow, with the IPC confirming members will be invited to decide whether to suspend or terminate the membership of the two nations.

"Post-Beijing 2022, we will also take measures with our 206 member organisations to determine whether any breaches of the Olympic Truce for future Paralympic Games could lead to the possible suspension or termination of an NPC [National Paralympic Committee]," he said.

"It is deeply disappointing that such action is required. However, the IPC Governing Board believes it to be necessary in order to hold governments to account for actions that impact directly on the Paralympic Movement, the Paralympic Games and Paralympic athletes. 

"This is especially so given the origins of the Paralympic Movement, arising out of the horrific events of the Second World War.

"Now that this decision has been made, I expect all participating NPCs to treat the neutral athletes as they would any other athletes at these Games, no matter how difficult this may be. 

"Unlike their respective governments, these Paralympic athletes and officials are not the aggressors, they are here to compete in a sport event like everybody else.

"The eyes of the world will be watching the Paralympic Winter Games in the coming days.  It is vital we show to world leaders through our sport that we can unite as human beings and that our true power is found when promoting peace, understanding and inclusion. 

"This is at the core of what the Paralympic Movement does and what it stands for. We should not lose sight of this now, no matter what the circumstances."

The World Athletics Council announced on Tuesday that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be excluded from all World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future.

A number of other sporting federations, including FIFA and UEFA, have also banned teams and athletes from the eastern European countries.

The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine has confirmed that a 29-strong team will represent their country at the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing, despite Russia's invasion of their homeland.

Russia launched an assault on Ukraine late last week, leading to a strong backlash from the international sporting community.

After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned Russia's breach of the Olympic Truce, which remains in place until after the end of the Winter Paralympics, Ukrainian athletes penned an open letter to the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to call for the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of the Winter Games, telling the governing bodies; "your legacy will be defined by your actions."

While the IPC is due to make a decision on Russian and Belarusian participation on Wednesday, Ukrainian Paralympians have moved to confirm that they are departing for the games from undisclosed locations, to compete in biathlon and cross-country skiing events.

"Part of the team is in one place, part is in another," a spokesperson told Public Sports.

"I hope that today we will unite and get to the airport and go to Beijing together. The team is not in Ukraine.

"We will not tell where we are. When we come to Beijing, we will tell. I hope that tomorrow, March 2, we will be in Beijing.

"The team is going [in] full as we planned."

Later that afternoon, a tweet from the official account of the Paralympic Games displayed the Ukrainian athletes prior to their departure for China. 

Ukrainian athletes have signed an open letter addressed to the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees calling for the immediate suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes ahead of the Winter Paralympics.

After weeks of rising political tensions, Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine on Thursday, with the conflict escalating further over the weekend.

Russia's actions have been widely condemned, and several leading athletes have demanded their entry into the 2022 Beijing Games be blocked.

A letter published by Global Athlete read: "We write to you today on behalf of Ukrainian Athletes to call on you in your leadership capacity of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to immediately suspend the Russian and Belarusian National Olympic and Paralympic Committees.

"Any suspension must also include the banning of all athletes from international sport, including the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games.

"Russia's invasion of Ukraine, supported by Belarus, is a clear breach of the Olympic and Paralympic Charters – a breach that must be met with strong sanctions.

"If the IOC and IPC refuse to take swift action, you are clearly emboldening [this] violation of international law and your own Charters.

"Your lack of action will send a message to every athlete and the world that you have chosen Russia and Belarus over athlete interests. Your legacy will be defined by your actions."

The IOC this week condemned Russia's breach of the Olympic Truce, which remains in place until a week after the end of the Paralympic Games.

The Paralympics will take place between March 4 and March 13.