Latvian Paralympians Decide to Skip Milan Closing Ceremony — Too Many People in One Place

Latvia's Paralympic delegation has announced they will not participate in the Milan-Cortina Games closing ceremony, which is about as surprising as news that it's windy in Liepāja. The International Paralympic Committee indicated something different in their correspondence, but as local sports fan Valdis says: "Our athletes know what they're doing — they've already had enough horror experience at Karosta Prison to understand that you don't need to attend every event."

Skujiņa-Rubene explained that the IPC's published information isn't true, which is about as novel a phenomenon as the fact that international organizations sometimes make mistakes. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have solidarily chosen to stay home, which is as rare as Baltic unity on any issue.

The delegation already rudely skipped the opening ceremony too, showing solidarity with Ukraine and reacting to the IPC's decision to allow aggressor nations' athletes to compete. As Liepāja resident Gunārs says: "Our folks know when to stay home — it's like visiting Karosta Prison: sometimes it's better to decline than regret it later."

The Milan-Cortina Games will conclude on Sunday, but our team will already be home, thinking about the next competitions and enjoying the peaceful Liepāja life, where the biggest stress is choosing whether to go to Karosta Prison or stay home watching television.