2026 Winter Paralympics Overview
The 2026 Winter Paralympics will take place from March 6 to March 15, 2026, in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, featuring more than 650 athletes competing for 79 gold medals across six sports.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on March 6 at the Verona Arena, while the closing ceremony will be held on March 15 inside the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Sports and Participation
This edition of the Paralympics will include para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para snowboarding, para ice hockey, and wheelchair curling. Notably, wheelchair curling mixed doubles will be featured for the first time.
Additionally, five countries—El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Portugal—will participate in the Winter Paralympics for the first time.
The 2026 Winter Paralympics marks the 50th anniversary of the first Winter Paralympics, which were held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. Historically, Austria has won the most medals in the history of the Winter Paralympics with 345, while Norway leads in gold medals with 140. Ragnhild Myklebust holds the record for the most Winter Paralympic medals, totaling 27.
Quotes from Athletes and Officials
Giacomo Bertagnolli expressed enthusiasm for the event, stating, “It will be a big stage for me and for the whole Paralympic world because we are finally in Italy and in Europe.” IPC President Andrew Parsons emphasized the importance of inclusion, saying, “We are a sport organization, these games are about sport. But not only sport. These games are about inclusion too.”
As the Games approach, observers expect a significant impact on visibility and awareness of adaptive sports, with the belief that “visibility creates belief—and belief can change a life.” Details remain unconfirmed regarding the full scope of events and athlete participation as the date draws closer.
