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Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPAs) refer to athletes who compete in the Paralympic Games under a neutral banner rather than representing their home country.

This practice is often implemented in response to political, ethical, or doping-related controversies involving certain countries, especially when national governing bodies are suspended or excluded from international competition. In these cases, athletes who meet qualification criteria can still participate in the Games, but they compete under the Paralympic flag, often with the designation "Independent" or "Neutral" athlete.

For example, athletes from countries embroiled in political conflicts or systemic doping scandals may face exclusion from participating under their national flag. However, to ensure that individual athletes who have not been involved in violations can still pursue their dreams, they are given the option to compete independently.

Paris 2024

At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, the NPA team comprise approved Russian and Belarusian athletes. The neutral athletes competed under a white flag featuring black lettering spelling out NPA. Medal wins were not recorded on the medal table and if a neutral athlete was a gold medal, the Paralympic anthem was played. NPA athletes won a total of 71 medals, 26 of them gold. This would have placed them in fifth position on the medal table.

Tokyo 2020

Due to sanctions imposed by the the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Russian athletes had been banned from international competition, though Russian athletes were allowed to compete at the 2020 Summer Paralympics under the acronym RPC (Russian Paralympic Committee), using a flag depicting the emblem of the committee.

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Related Pages

• Russia at the Summer Olympics
• Countries participating in the Paralympic Games
• Paralympics host cities
• Other major world sporting events