ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.  — The Special Olympics has dropped a vaccine mandate requiring athletes to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate in Orlando, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday.

Special Olympics' international organization had put that policy in place requiring athletes to be vaccinated — it was not a mandate that the local chapter, Special Olympics Florida, had put in place.

State officials said they had threatened to fine the organization millions of dollars if they kept the mandate in place, saying it violated Florida law.

"We've never seen something wielded like this vaccine to try to marginalize disabled people, to try to deny people full freedom and full rights," DeSantis said. "And to go after Special Olympians, who all they want to do is compete, is not consistent with Florida law and is not the right thing to do. Let them compete. We want everybody to compete."

Officials say the decision will allow 100 more Floridians to compete in the 2022 Special Olympic USA games, which start in Orlando on Sunday.

Team Florida was sending more than 500 athletes to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. That delegation grew in size overnight to 600 when the COVID vaccine requirement was lifted. With the mandate gone, Special Olympic athlete Frank Vernoia can now take part in the games. 

“We were still fighting at the point at the possibility like today we would be able to compete,” he said. 

Before this week, Special Olympics International had required competitors to be vaccinated to protect participants. The state had threatened to fine the organization more than 27 million dollars if they kept the mandate in place, arguing it violated Florida laws.

Governor Ron DeSantis said, "They would have run afoul to that and that would have subjected them to penalties and that wasn’t us singling them out that’s just how the law operates."

Supporters of the change in policy say it helps Special Olympics achieve its mission of inclusion.

Nik Nikic, the father Special Olympic athlete Chris Nikic, said, “So Chris was vaccinated that was our choice but we thought it was unfair for the hundreds of athletes that weren’t that they were being excluded.”

Friday, Special Olympics International released a statement saying they are making their best efforts to accommodate eligible individuals and looking forward to welcoming thousands to the Games. 

Many of the competitions will take place at Disney's Wide World of Sports. For athletes from farther away, like Hawaii, the change may have been made too late for them to be able to get to Central Florida to compete.

In a Friday statement, the officials with the Special Olympics said the decision came "based upon the Florida Department of Health’s interpretation of Florida law." The organization said delegates who were registered for the games but were unable to participate because of the prior vaccine requirement now have the option to attend. 

"SOI, Special Olympics North America, and the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Local Organizing Committee are making best efforts to accommodate eligible individuals," the statement said.

The Florida health department notified the Special Olympics in a letter Thursday that the organization would be fined $27.5 million for 5,500 violations of state law for requiring proof of coronavirus vaccination for attendees or participants.

Florida law bars businesses from requiring documentation of a COVID-19 vaccination. DeSantis has strongly opposed vaccine mandates and other virus policies endorsed by the federal government.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.