CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Iran will not participate in the Milan Cortina Paralympics because its only athlete set to compete can't safely travel to Italy amid the intensifying Middle East conflict, the International Paralympic Committee said Friday.
The announcement that Aboulfazl Khatibi won't compete came just hours ahead of the opening ceremony in Verona. The Games are beginning less than a week since the United States and Israel launched a military attack against Iran.
The IPC said that “due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Paralympian cannot travel safely to Italy.”
IPC president Andrew Parsons said Paralympic organizers had been “working tirelessly behind the scenes” with the Iranian National Paralympic Committee to “find alternative routes for the safe passage of the Iran delegation to the Games.” He said, however, that “with the conflict ongoing across the Middle East, the risk to human life is too high.”
Parsons said dialogue with the Iranian Paralympic Committee was not easy because communication systems were down across much of the nation.
“We were informed by NPC Iran that safe passage to Milano Cortina 2026 was not possible, and, as a result, they would not be able to come to the Games,” Parsons said. "To not compete at a Paralympic Winter Games because of factors outside of his control after years of training and dedication is heartbreaking for the athlete and our sympathies are with Aboulfazl at this difficult time.”
Khatibi was set to compete in two Para cross-country events beginning next week. He had been announced as Iran’s flagbearer but was not going to actually carry the flag — volunteers will be handed the task for all nations because not all flagbearers will be able to attend the ceremony for logistics and training issues.
The IPC said Iran's flag was removed from the nations' parade at the opening ceremony on Friday.
AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games
FILE - People take photos in front of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics rings, in Cortina D'Ampezzo, on Nov. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
DALLAS (AP) — A couple of injuries during the Olympics affected how Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill approached the NHL trade deadline, then another of their Olympians got hurt Friday night.
Nill wanted to add some depth and some more good players, with standout forward Mikko Rantanen and center Radek Faksa both on injured reserve after they were hurt in the Olympics.
“Because of the injuries, that's why we had make the moves we made,” Nill said before the Stars' 5-4 loss in a shootout to NHL-best Colorado that ended their franchise-record 10-game winning streak. “We’re pretty happy with the players we have obtained. They addressed our needs.”
While the Stars didn't make any more trades Friday, they had earlier this week fortified their defense by acquiring 6-foot-8 Tyler Myers from Vancouver, and filled a need up front by getting left wing Michael Bunting from Nashville.
Then top-line center Roope Hintz, who was on Finland's team with Rantanen, got hurt late in the second period after returning for the Stars against Colorado. He missed their first four post-break games because of an illness.
Hintz remained down and reached at the back of his left leg after being engaged with Nathan MacKinnon along the boards. Hintz put no weight on his left leg while being helped off the ice and then down the tunnel toward the locker room.
Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said he didn't really see the play and had no significant update on the injury.
“We won't know for a day or two here,” Gulutzan said. “Get him looked at, and hopefully it's not too long.”
When Myers does play for the Stars, he will be the first Texas-born player to ever appear in a game for them. He and Bunting likely will make their Dallas debuts on Sunday at home against Chicago..
Faksa sustained an upper-body injury when playing for the Czech Republic at the Olympics, but had been expected to be back after the break. But Nill said a lower-body injury when he was skating and working out after that will keep him out until around the start of the playoffs.
“Was rehabbing and in a pretty good spot to start playing again and unfortunately got injured,” Nill said. “That was a big loss for us. That kind of changed our direction.”
The Stars knew they would be at least a few weeks without Rantanen, their big acquisition at the trade deadline last year, because of the lower-body injury he sustained in Italy. He got hurt in the Olympic semifinals and didn’t play in Finland’s win over Slovakia for the bronze medal.
Nill said Rantanen was still at least a week or 10 days from starting to skate again.
“From there, we'll see how he comes along.” Nill said.
Seven Stars players went to the Olympics, and Faksa was the only one who didn't win a medal. Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell also played for Finland, while fellow defenseman Thomas Harley played for Canada, which lost to the United States in the gold medal game. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was on the U.S. squad.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) and Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) scuffle during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, March 6, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) and Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) scuffle during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, March 6, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, bottom right, is checked by a trainer as defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Friday, March 6, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dallas Stars' Sam Steel, center, celebrates his goal with teammates Matt Duchene, left, and Miro Heiskanen during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alberta on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
