A Ukrainian Paralympian pulled out of her race after finding out that her father had been captured by Russian soldiers

• Anastasiia Laletina, a Ukrainian para biathlete, pulled out of her event Tuesday.
• She did so after finding out that her father had been captured by Russian troops, AFP reported.

A Ukrainian athlete had to pull out of a race at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games after she found out her father had been captured by Russian soldiers, according to Agence France-Presse.

Anastasiia Laletina, 19, did not compete in the middle-distance sitting para biathlon on Tuesday morning after receiving the news, Nataliia Harach, a team spokesperson, told AFP.

"Her father is a soldier in the Ukrainian army and [was taken] prisoner by Russian soldiers. They beat him," Harach told AFP. "She was very upset and couldn't take part in the race."

The 19-year-old is receiving support from the team's doctor, Harach added.

According to the Paralympic website, Laletina is still registered to compete in the para cross-country skiing event, though it is unclear whether she will participate.

Twenty Ukrainian athletes traveled to China for the Paralympic Games despite the Russian invasion of their country, which began on February 24.

On the opening day of the Games, Ukraine claimed seven medals. The country is in second place in the overall medal table, with 17 total medals — six gold, seven silver, and four bronze.

Last week, the International Paralympic Committee banned Russia and Belarus — a close ally of Russia — from competing in the Beijing Paralympics.

Valeriy Sushkevych, the Ukrainian Paralympic chief, said before the Games that his team's presence at there was a "symbol that Ukraine is alive," the BBC reported.