The
2026 Winter Paralympics, officially known as the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, are scheduled to take place in Italy from
March 6 to March 15, 2026. This 14th edition of the Games marks a historic milestone as the
50th anniversary of the first Winter Paralympics, which were held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. The event will feature approximately
665 athletes from 56 nations competing in
79 medal events.
The journey to the Games began with the
Paralympic torch relay, themed "The Greatest Journey," which commenced on February 24, 2026, at Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom—the spiritual birthplace of the Paralympic movement. The relay covered 2,000 kilometers over 11 days across Italy, involving 501 torchbearers before concluding at the opening ceremony. The
opening ceremony is set to be held at the historic
Verona Arena, a Roman amphitheater that provides a grand stage for the 50th-anniversary celebration.
The competition includes
six primary sports:
- Para Alpine Skiing: Features 30 medal events across categories for sitting, standing, and visually impaired athletes.
- Para Biathlon: Combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting, using an auditory targeting system for visually impaired competitors.
- Para Cross-Country Skiing: Includes sprint, individual, and relay events.
- Para Snowboarding: A pure racing sport (banked slalom and snowboard cross) where the first across the line or fastest time wins.
- Para Ice Hockey (Sled Hockey): A high-intensity team sport where players use sleds and two short sticks for propulsion and puck control.
- Wheelchair Curling: Features a major debut this year with the addition of mixed doubles, alongside the traditional mixed team tournament.
A unique aspect of the Winter Paralympics is the
factored time system used in alpine skiing, biathlon, and cross-country skiing. Similar to a golf handicap, this system multiplies an athlete's raw finish time by a factor specific to their impairment level, allowing athletes with different classifications to compete fairly for the same medals. Other sports, like para snowboarding and para ice hockey, do not use factors but rely on head-to-head competition within specific classes or a single open class.
Events are distributed across several venues in Northern Italy.
Cortina d'Ampezzo will host para alpine skiing, para snowboarding, and wheelchair curling. Nordic events (biathlon and cross-country) are located at the
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme, while the para ice hockey tournament will take place in
Milan at the Santagiulia Stadium.
The 2026 Games will see the participation of legendary veterans and rising stars. The United States team, for example, features
Oksana Masters, the most decorated American Winter Paralympian, and a dominant
sled hockey team seeking its fifth consecutive title. Host nation Italy looks to stars like
Giacomo Bertagnolli in alpine skiing to lead their delegation. Additionally, nations such as El Salvador, Haiti, and Montenegro are expected to make their debut at the Winter Games, reflecting the continued global growth of the Paralympic movement. The official mascot for the event is
Milo, a brown stoat intended to symbolize agility and resilience.
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