Paralympians try to focus on Milan Cortina Games amid tensions over Iran war, return of Russian flag

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Athletes at the Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics, the first global sports event since the war in the Middle East began last week, have been trying to block out news of the conflicts and focus on their preparations for the Games that officially start on Friday.

Others have been outspoken about the return of the Russian flag to the global stage and are defending their nation's boycott of Friday's opening ceremony.

The Games that mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics are getting underway amid the ongoing military attacks by the United States, Israel and Iran. The conflicts prompted travel difficulties for some of the nations coming to Italy because of widespread flight disruptions. Iran was due to have one skier at Milan Cortina, although his participation was yet to be confirmed.

“We are here to do a job,” U.S. wheelchair curler Laura Dwyer told The Associated Press on Thursday. “We are in the village, and we are at the venue, and we are working really hard to show up, and to do good things, and represent. So that’s what we are focused on, and no place I’d rather be than this beautiful place with this guy right here and at the Paralympic Games.”

Dwyer is competing with Stephen Emt in the mixed-doubles discipline that is debuting at the Winter Paralympics.

“We are just concerned with the ice, concerned with the stones and the competition,” Emt said. “We know that we are in a good place and we are going to continue to battle for the USA.”

The curling competition began two days ahead of the opening ceremony and other curlers have weighed in about competing amid the conflicts elsewhere.

“To be honest, I don’t really think about it," British curler Jo Butterfield said. “There’s lots of things going on in the world right now, but I’ve been training to do this for a long time and we’re here to curl. I’m a firm believer that sport can rally people, and hopefully some good news stories on the back pages will help the public be happy.”

The opening ceremony will also come amid the boycott of some nations showing solidarity with Ukraine over the return to the Russian flag and anthem.

Russian athletes will compete under their own flag at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade, and the country’s national anthem could be played for gold medalists for the first time on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukraine was the first to announce that it would boycott the opening ceremony because of Russia, and the International Paralympic Committee says several others are planning not to attend because of political reasons: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania.

“There is war and we are against war,” Latvian curler Polina Rozkova said. "It's not allowed (to have a) country under their own flag when their country is attacking another country. It's our opinion that we are against war. We try to listen less to the news, but of course, everything is terrible and maybe somehow it's also influencing us."

Estonian curler Katlin Riidebach said she was trying to focus on the competition but felt it was important for the Estonian Paralympic Committee to make a stance and boycott the opening ceremony.

“Honestly, in here I don’t want to make a political statement,” Riidebach said. “I know that we have decided not to go to the opening ceremony ... We think it’s important to say it loud that the war is not OK and people should know. And even though we don't want to say it, sports and politics are very engaged, so if athletes can say their opinion, I think we should do it.”

Ahead of the Games, the IPC did not approve an item of the Ukraine uniform because it contained a map that fell within the forbidden categories of “national anthems lyrics, motivational words, public/political messaging or slogans related to national identity.”

The IPC said an alternative uniform was approved within 24 hours after “dialogue” with the Ukrainian National Paralympic Committee.

AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games

Steve Emt, foreground, and Laura Dwyer, center, of the United States, compete against Yoji Nakajima and Aki Ogawa, of Japan, in a wheelchair curling mixed doubles round robin session at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Katlin Riidebach, of Estonia, competes in a wheelchair curling mixed doubles round robin session against Italy at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Steve Emt, right, and Laura Dwyer, of the United States, bump fists during their wheelchair curling mixed doubles round robin session against Japan at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Steve Emt, right, and Laura Dwyer, of the United States, and Yoji Nakajima, left, and Aki Ogawa, of Japan, greet each other after their wheelchair curling mixed doubles round robin session at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.

Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.

For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.

A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.

This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.

The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.

For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.

“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”

The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.

“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.

“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.

Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)