Golden Jubilee for a Grander Games
This marks the 14th edition of the Winter Paralympics, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural event. It will be the largest yet, with over 600 athletes from 56 nations set to participate. El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Portugal will make their debuts. The Games will feature 79 medal events across six sports, including the new addition of mixed doubles wheelchair curling since Beijing 2022. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons stated the Games will showcase “world-class, highly competitive sport that will surprise you and, most importantly, have a life-changing impact on everyone who witnesses it.”
From Verona to Milan via Cortina
Like last month’s Winter Olympics, these Games will be hosted by Milano Cortina across venues spanning hundreds of miles. The opening ceremony is in Verona on Friday night, with competitions starting Saturday at the central hub of Cortina d’Ampezzo. Cortina will host para-alpine skiing at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, alongside wheelchair curling and para-snowboard. Nordic events—para-biathlon and para-cross-country skiing—will be held at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium near Predazzo. Para-ice hockey will take place in Milan at the Santagiulia Stadium.
Six Sports, Many Categories
While limited to six sports, para-sports are divided into categories reflecting athletes’ disabilities. For example, alpine skiing includes five events—slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and super combined—each split into men’s and women’s divisions and further classified by impairment. This creates separate races for visually impaired athletes and those competing standing or seated.
Similar classifications apply in cross-country skiing, which includes sprint, distance, and relay events. Para-snowboarding features two competition types—banked slalom and snowboard cross—with classifications allowing for three men’s events and one women’s event (for athletes with lower-limb disabilities below the knee). Para-ice hockey is for athletes with lower-limb disabilities, with six players per team on ice. Wheelchair curling is for athletes with leg impairments, played without sweepers.
Who Are the Stars?
With a record number of athletes, many para-stars are poised to shine. For host nation Italy, the standout is Giacomo Bertagnolli, who competes in all five alpine skiing events and holds eight Paralympic medals, including four golds. Bertagnolli says, “It will be a big stage for me and the whole Paralympic world because we are finally in Italy and Europe. I hope for a large turnout, something the Paralympics still need.”
Likely to make headlines are U.S. athletes Oksana Masters and Brenna Huckaby. Masters is a summer and winter Paralympian, having competed in rowing, adaptive cycling, and para-biathlon, where she won two sitting golds in 2022. Huckaby is a three-time snowboarding champion, a disability rights activist, and a two-time ESPY Award winner for Best Athlete with a Disability. Ukraine is sending a team of 25 athletes, while Iran has one competitor: Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, qualified for two para cross-country skiing events.Italy’s great hope, como Bertagnolli (centre right). Photograph: Riccardo Antimiani/EPA
For Team GB, the focus is on personal bests rather than gold medals. With no official medal target set, expectations are being managed around a team of 25 athletes achieving their best performances. A modest haul of two to five medals is anticipated, which would mark a decline from Beijing, where Britain secured six medals—one gold, one silver, and four bronze—finishing 14th in the rankings. Neil Simpson, who won that gold, returns to compete in the visually impaired men’s super G alongside his brother and guide, Andrew. Also back is Britain’s most decorated Winter Paralympian, Menna Fitzpatrick MBE, who has earned six medals in visually impaired skiing, including slalom gold at Pyeongchang in 2018. Fitzpatrick makes it to the Games despite two serious injuries over the past year, including knee damage just three months ago.
Geopolitical Tensions
The Winter Paralympics is poised to be the most politicised in its 50-year history. Last autumn, the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision to overturn a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing under their own flags sparked heated controversy. Seven Central and Eastern European nations plan to boycott Friday’s opening ceremony—six in solidarity with Ukraine, the seventh.
Meanwhile, as of Thursday afternoon, the IPC could not publicly confirm which nations would definitely participate, due to the recent outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. Ahead of the Games, IPC President Andrew Parsons expressed hope that the focus would remain on sport. “We are a sport organisation; these Games are about sport. But not only sport—they are about inclusion too,” he said, stressing the importance of the event for “one of the most marginalised segments of society.”
Whether his wishes are realised, or global turbulence takes centre stage, will only become clear in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful FAQs about the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milano Cortina designed to answer questions from firsttime viewers to seasoned fans
Basics Logistics
Q When and where are the 2026 Winter Paralympics
A They will be held from March 6 to March 15 2026 in Milano Cortina Italy Events will take place across various venues in the Lombardy and Veneto regions
Q What are the Paralympic Games
A The Paralympics are the premier international sporting event for elite athletes with physical vision and intellectual impairments They are held in the same host cities as the Olympic Games following shortly after
Q How is this different from the Olympics
A While both feature the worlds best athletes the Paralympics are specifically for athletes with eligible impairments The sports classification systems and some equipment are adapted to ensure fair and thrilling competition
Q Where can I buy tickets
A Ticket sales have not started yet The best place for official information and future ticket sales will be the Milano Cortina 2026 official website Be wary of unofficial thirdparty sellers
Q How can I watch the Games from home
A Broadcast rights are sold to networks in each country In 2026 there will also be extensive streaming and highlight coverage on the Paralympics website and social media channels
Sports Athletes
Q What new sports will be in 2026
A There are no new sports planned for 2026 The program will feature the existing six sports Para Alpine Skiing Para CrossCountry Skiing Para Biathlon Para Snowboard Wheelchair Curling and Para Ice Hockey
Q What is Para Ice Hockey Is it the same as Sledge Hockey
A Yes its the same sport Athletes sit on a sled with two blades and use two short sticks with a spikeend to propel themselves and a bladeend to shoot the puck Its fast physical and one of the most popular Paralympic sports
