🏅 2026 Winter Paralympics: Everything You Need to Know About Milan-Cortina
📋 Quick Facts Summary
🎯 What Are the Winter Paralympics?
The Winter Paralympics are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities, visual impairments, and intellectual disabilities compete in winter sports. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Winter Paralympics, held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976 .
The Games are held every four years, following the Winter Olympics, and use the same host cities . Italy is hosting for the second time after Turin 2006 .
🏟️ Venues Across Northern Italy
The Games are spread across multiple locations in the stunning Italian Alps :
| Venue | Location | Events Hosted |
|---|---|---|
| Verona Arena | Verona | Opening Ceremony (historic Roman amphitheater) |
| Cortina d'Ampezzo | Cortina | Para Alpine Skiing, Para Snowboard, Wheelchair Curling |
| Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium | Val di Fiemme | Para Biathlon, Para Cross-Country Skiing |
| Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena | Milan | Para Ice Hockey |
Cortina's Olimpia delle Tofane is described as "one of the most iconic courses on the World Cup circuit" and "the most beautiful Alpine Ski venue in the world" .
🏆 Sports and Events
There are 79 medal events across six sports :
1. ⛷️ Para Alpine Skiing
Categories: Visually Impaired, Standing, Sitting
Disciplines: Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Alpine Combined
Location: Cortina d'Ampezzo
2. 🎯 Para Biathlon (Cross-Country Skiing + Shooting)
Categories: Sitting, Standing, Vision Impairment
Events: Sprint, Middle Distance, Pursuit, Individual
Location: Val di Fiemme
3. ⛷️ Para Cross-Country Skiing
Categories: Sitting, Standing, Vision Impairment
Events: Sprint Classic, Interval Start, Relay events
Location: Val di Fiemme
4. 🏂 Para Snowboard
Disciplines: Snowboard Cross (SBX), Banked Slalom
Location: Cortina Para Snowboard Park
5. 🏒 Para Ice Hockey
Format: Athletes use specially designed sledges with two skate blades
Location: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena
6. 🥌 Wheelchair Curling
🌟 Athletes to Watch
🇺🇸 Oksana Masters (USA)
Age: 36
Sports: Para Biathlon, Para Cross-Country
Achievements: 19 Paralympic medals across 4 sports; most decorated US Winter Paralympian
Story: Competing in her 8th Paralympics; has undergone 28 surgeries
🇯🇵 Momoka Muraoka (Japan)
Sport: Para Alpine Skiing (Sitting)
Achievements: 3 golds at Beijing 2022 (downhill, super-G, giant slalom)
🇳🇴 Jesper Pedersen (Norway)
🇨🇦 Natalie Wilkie (Canada)
🇨🇳 Yang Hongqiong (China)
🇫🇷 Arthur Bauchet (France)
🇬🇧 Neil Simpson & Andrew Simpson (Great Britain)
🇮🇹 Giacomo Bertagnolli (Italy)
📊 Record-Breaking Games
The Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympics are setting new records :
| Record | Number |
|---|---|
| Athletes | 612-665 (highest ever) |
| Nations | 56 (highest ever) |
| Debut Nations | El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal |
| Medal Events | 79 (highest ever) |
🇨🇳 China's Strong Presence
China has sent its largest-ever overseas Winter Paralympics delegation:
🏒 Para Ice Hockey: USA vs Canada Rivalry
One of the most anticipated competitions is Para ice hockey :
USA seeking 5th consecutive gold medal and 6th overall
Canada won their only gold in Italy at Turin 2006 - hoping to repeat on Italian ice
Teams are mixed, with female players allowed (2 female players competing: Japan's Fukunishi Akari and Slovakia's Michaela Hozáková)
🎪 Opening Ceremony at Verona Arena
The opening ceremony takes place March 6 at the Verona Arena, a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater and UNESCO World Heritage site . This is the same venue that hosted the Olympic closing ceremony.
Schedule by Region:
🇷🇺 Russia and Belarus Controversy
The IPC has allowed 6 Russian and 4 Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags - the first time a Russian flag has flown at a Paralympics since Sochi 2014 .
Ukraine, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland are boycotting the opening ceremony
Germany will only appear in pre-recorded segments
UK government ministers and officials will not attend ceremonies
📺 How to Watch
| Country | Broadcaster | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| USA | NBC, USA Network, CNBC, Peacock | Live coverage + prime-time highlights |
| UK | Channel 4 | 60+ hours live; daily highlights |
| Canada | CBC TV, CBC Gem | Live daily coverage |
| New Zealand | TVNZ, Duke, TVNZ+ | Full coverage |
| International | Olympics.com, official app | Live streaming in many territories |
🦊 Meet Milo - The Mascot
Milo is the official mascot of the 2026 Winter Paralympics :
Species: Brown stoat (a small weasel-like animal)
Special feature: Born without one paw
Sister: Tina (white fur) was the Olympic mascot
Name origin: MI from Milan + LO from Cortina
Symbolism: Stoats are known for speed, agility, and adapting to their environment through color-changing fur
Fun fact: Every medalist receives a plush Milo on the podium!
🏅 Paralympic Symbols
Agitos (Symbol)
Three waves in red, blue, and green representing motion and the Paralympic motto "Spirit in Motion." From Latin meaning "I move" .
Motto
"Spirit in Motion" - representing the strong will of every Paralympian .
📅 Full Schedule Highlights
🌟 Inspiring Stories
Jo Butterfield (Great Britain)
Attempting to become the first Briton to win gold at both Summer and Winter Paralympics (competing in wheelchair curling after summer success) .
Davy Zyw (Great Britain)
First snowsport athlete with motor neurone disease (MND) to compete at the Games .
Cristian Westemaier Ribera (Brazil)
Aiming to win South America's first Winter Paralympic medal; undefeated in Sprints for nearly two years .
Aline Dos Santos Rocha (Brazil)
Hoping to become South America's first Winter Paralympic medalist .
📢 Message for 2026
As IPC President Andrew Parsons stated: "I promise you world-class sport, sport that is highly competitive, sport that will surprise you and, most importantly, sport that will have a life-changing transformational impact on everyone who witnesses it" .
"The Games are about sport, but not only sport. We are collaborating with Milan-Cortina and ensuring this event continues to serve as a platform to drive social change for the world's 1.3 billion persons with disabilities" .
Follow the action and cheer for these incredible athletes as they compete on the world stage!
Happy watching! 🏅🎿🏒🥌
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