Sushkevych acknowledged the delegation could have given up and not travelled to the Chinese capital amid the ongoing conflict back home. But the official said that would have signalled the nation had "ceased to exist."

"You know that Ukraine is one of the world leaders when it comes to the Paralympic Movement and each and every one of us in the movement understood that if Ukraine is absent here at the Paralympic Games, that would signify that there is no more Ukrainian world, that it ceased to exist if it were not represented here at the Games, if we did not have a chance to participate at this global level," Sushkevych said.

"A superpower wants to destroy my country, our country, and our presence at the Paralympic Games is not merely about being here.

"This is a sign that Ukraine was and will remain a country, it is a symbol that Ukraine is alive.

"Today many members of the Ukrainian Paralympic team do not leave their phones, they keep calling their families, it is very important for them to stay in touch with their families.

"The frontline is back home and our military is defending that line from the aggressor, but our frontline is here in Beijing. This is where we fight, at the Paralympic Games."

Given the ongoing horrors of the war in Ukraine, it is no surprise the performances of their athletes at the Paralympic Games will garner significant attention and acclaim. With seven medals secured already, including three gold, the Ukrainian delegation’s performances and resilience will be the undoubted story of the Paralympic Games.

In a similar vein, tennis player Dayana Yastremska and gymnast Illia Kovtun are among young Ukrainians to be competing at the top level of their sport, despite the situation in their nation.

Just two weeks ago, Yastremska posted on social media that her parents had made the decision to send her 15-year-old sister Ivana out of their home in Odessa. They had previously spent two nights in an underground car park.

Having played with her sister in doubles after being granted a wildcard at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event in Lyon, Yastremska finished as the runner-up in the singles event which concluded today.

"Maybe it's just my spirit that is pretty strong right now - that's why I think I can deal with everything," the 21-year-old said after her semi-final win. “I'm Ukrainian, and Ukrainian people are very strong. You can see that now during the war.

"Every win from now on goes to my country. Compared to what's going on, it has no big meaning."

Kovtun, meanwhile, has triumphed in consecutive weeks in men’s parallel bars competition at Gymnastics World Cup events in Cottbus and Doha.

The second victory was overshadowed by third placed Ivan Kuliak wearing a "Z" symbol on his neutral uniform. The letter Z has been seen on Russian military vehicles during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Kuliak has single handily underlined why so many have called for Russian athletes to be banned from competitions during the conflict, with his gesture seen as endorsing the ongoing conflict. His act would be inflammatory, even without sharing the podium with a Ukrainian athlete, whose nation is being impacted by the war.

You must suspect the International Gymnastics Federation are currently regretting the decision to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in one final event, under neutral status, prior to implementing a ban.

Sport has attempted - rightly or wrongly - to prevent individual athletes from being banned due to the actions of their respective Governments in recent years.

A tweet from Pirate Irwin explained the difficulties well this week when reflecting on the IPC decision to ban Russian and Belarusian Paralympians.

"Punishing people, who have overcome enormous personal challenges in life and have some reward by competing on the world stage, for one man’s brutal bid to rewrite history is bloody tough," he wrote, while acknowledging the decision is correct. "They had no say in Putin’s decision for pity’s sake."

The difficulty with Russia, as put by a sporting official to me this week, is that the country has weaponised athletes in recent years.

An example would be the alternative Paralympic Games arranged following their Rio 2016 ban for state sponsored doping, with athletes viewed as victims of the International Paralympic Committee decision rather than having been impacted by the doping regime. 

Similarly, a representative of the Belarusian delegation who carried a Russian flag during the Opening Ceremony was reported to have been rewarded with an apartment in Moscow for his "act of solidarity."

It is no surprise that there is already discussion around another alternative Paralympic Games in Sochi, following the Beijing 2022 ban.

The widespread move from sport to enforce a ban will unfairly impact athletes, with some having already been vocal in opposing the war.

This would include the likes of Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev, who last week wrote "No war please" on a camera after progressing to the Dubai Tennis Championships final.

New men’s world number one Daniil Medvedev has also spoken out against the invasion, referencing comments he made at the Australian Open about his dreams as a child.

"Today I want to speak on behalf of every kid in the world," he wrote. "They all have dreams, their life is just starting, so many nice experiences to come: first friends, first great emotions.

"Everything they feel and see is for the first time in their lives. That’s why I want to ask for peace in the world, for peace between countries."

Their continued participation and platform could arguably help to influence the Russian public’s view of the conflict.

Yet the approach of the Russian Government to hold its athletes up as political symbols, banning them could also offer them protection of sorts.