Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy for President Trump, endorsed Russia’s participation at next month’s Paralympics, a move greeted with dismay in European capitals.
Six Russian athletes and four Belarusians will be allowed to represent their nations, officials said. The decision could pave the way for a Russian team to compete at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Athletes train and sweat for years in pursuit of the glittering prizes. Many store them in the least glamorous places.
In Milan this week, Olympics officials signaled a willingness to ease years of restrictions imposed on the country over its state-backed doping program and invasion of Ukraine.