Matvienko pointed to the power of the Russian character at the Paralympics in Italy

Russian athletes at the Paralympic Games in Italy demonstrated the power of the Russian character and the strength of national sporting traditions, despite external pressure. This was announced on March 31 by the Chairman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, at a meeting with the participants and prize-winners of the competition.

Matvienko stressed that the speech took place "in conditions of political demarches and unsportsmanlike behavior on the part of ill-wishers." She particularly noted the numerical strength of the national team, which was significantly inferior to its competitors.

"And the six of you (the Paralympic Games medalists — Ed.) managed to perform a miracle and become one of the three strongest teams in the world...> Behind this triumph, of course, there are years of intense training, very hard work," Matvienko said.

The Chairman of the Federation Council paid special attention to the actions of the Ukrainian authorities. According to her, the imposition of sanctions against Paralympic athletes after their victories at international competitions is the height of cynicism.

"In my opinion, there is simply nowhere to fall lower. This is a demonstration of their absolute powerlessness and lack of any moral principles," she added.

Matvienko also expressed gratitude to the coaching staff and mentors, noting that their hard work has become the foundation for achieving high results in difficult international conditions.

The Magnificent six: the Russian national team is the third in the medal standings of the 2026 Paralympics

Our team takes away eight awards of the highest dignity from Italy with the most truncated composition.

The Russian national team completed its performance at the Paralympics on March 15, winning five gold, two silver and three bronze medals and taking third place in the team competition. Six athletes competed as part of the Russian team at the Paralympics.

On March 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Russian team on their high results at the Winter Paralympic Games. He also noted that thanks to their achievements, the flag and anthem of the Russian Federation triumphantly returned to the sports arena.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.