German Athletes Protest Russia’s Paralympic Participation with Silent Demonstration

Tesera, Italy – March 11, 2026 – German visually impaired cross-country skiers Linn Kazmaier and Florian Baumann staged a silent protest during the medal ceremony at the Paralympic Games in Tesera, Italy, expressing their opposition to Russia’s participation in the event. The protest occurred after Kazmaier and Baumann secured a silver medal in their event, with Anastasija Bagijanova and Sergej Sinjakin of Russia winning gold.

The German duo demonstrated their dissent by wearing their caps during the Russian national anthem and deliberately turning away from the Russian flag. Kazmaier also declined to pose for photographs with the Russian athletes, according to reports from German media outlets Bild and ARD.

Solidarity with Ukraine and Concerns Over Russian Participation

Kazmaier explained the motivation behind the protest, stating, “The awards ceremony was really strange. I don’t know these people. Maybe they don’t support the Russian system either. Maybe they are really nice people with whom we could be friends. But it’s a shame that politics overshadows everything. We don’t support it, so we decided to maintain our hats on and not turn to the flags.”

Baumann emphasized the desire to show solidarity with Ukraine, recalling positive relationships with Ukrainian athletes at the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. “Four years ago, we had great relations with the Ukrainians in Beijing. We wanted to show them solidarity,” Baumann told ZDF.

Baumann further expressed his belief that Russia should not be permitted to compete in the Paralympic Games under its own flag and with its national anthem, given the ongoing geopolitical context. Russia had been barred from Olympic and Paralympic events since the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics due to state-sponsored doping violations and, more recently, due to the war in Ukraine.

The Location: Tesera, Italy

The protest took place in Tesera, a small town in the Veneto region of Italy, located near the Venetian Lagoon and approximately 6 km north of Venice. Tesera is also home to the Marco Polo International Airport. ItalianNotebook details the town’s rich history, dating back to the Roman era.

European Media Freedom Act and Political Interference

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about political interference in sports, particularly in the context of international competitions. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which came into force in May 2025, aims to prevent political interference in public service media across the EU, including in Italy, where the national broadcaster, Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), has historically faced issues with political meddling.

Germany’s strong economic role within the European Union often gives its media perspective significant influence on European policy issues, as noted by research in the International Journal of Press/Politics.