The Winter Paralympics opening ceremony was dominated by calls for inclusivity and peace.

On Friday, the Beijing Paralympics Games will begin, with a lot of the world’s attention on Russia’s war in Ukraine and its domestic ramifications.

A day before the Games were scheduled to start, the organizers actually reversed their initial decision and forbade competitors from Belarus and Russia from competing.

This year’s competitions, which take place through March 13, will include hundreds of elite athletes. There are 564 competitors competing for 46 different countries, according to the Paralympics organizers, including a record-breaking 138 women.