You’ve probably heard of the Olympics, but have you heard of the Paralympics?

The Paralympics are taking place from March 4th to March 13th this year in Beijing, and serve to allow athletes with disabilities to compete at an Olympic level. These are the 13th Winter Paralympic Games, administered by the International Paralympic Committee. There will be 564 athletes representing 45 National Paralympic Committees, competing in 78 medal events and six sports.

However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has impacted the Games, and the International Olympic Committee condemned Russia for violating the Olympic Truce. The truce is a tradition originating from Ancient Greece, and begins one week before the Games begin and ends one week after the Games end. The truce has been violated three times in the history of the Games, all three violations stemming from the Russian Federation.

Taking this in count, Russia and its ally Belarus have been excluded from international sporting events, including the Paralympics. The six sports in the Paralympics are Alpine skiing, the Biathlon, Cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Snowboarding, and Wheelchair curling. Currently, China is in the lead, followed by Canada and Ukraine. However, they are almost over, so make sure to go watch the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics before they come to a close!