Northern Italy, fresh from hosting the Winter Olympics, is set to welcome the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. The events will take place over 10 days from March 6 to 15 across three main locations: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and Val di Fiemme. Approximately 665 athletes from 56 nations are expected to compete in 79 medal events across six sports: Para-alpine skiing, Para-biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para-ice hockey, Para-snowboard, and wheelchair curling. Each sport features multiple categories based on the type and level of disability of the competing athletes.

This marks the 14th edition of the Winter Paralympics, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their inception in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The Games return to Italy for a second time, 20 years after Torino in 2006, with Rome having hosted the first Summer Paralympics in 1960. A new medal event—wheelchair curling mixed doubles—will debut at these Games, similar to the mixed doubles curling added to the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang 2018.

Five countries—El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Portugal—are sending athletes to the Winter Paralympics for the first time. Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete under their own flags and anthems, following a decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in September to lift the ban imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia has been granted six wildcard spots in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding, while Belarus received four spots in cross-country skiing.

Several national Paralympic Committees have announced boycotts of Friday’s opening ceremony at Verona Arena due to the IPC’s decision to reinstate athletes from Russia and Belarus. Ukraine was the first to declare a boycott, followed by others including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Poland. Germany’s Paralympic committee stated its athletes would abstain from the ceremony but participate in pre-recorded segments for broadcast. Reports indicate that national flags will be carried by volunteers instead of athletes at the ceremony for logistical reasons.

The standout star of the Winter Paralympics is Oksana Masters, who will compete in Para-biathlon and Para-cross-country skiing at the 2026 Games. The 36-year-old American is entering her fourth Winter Paralympics with 14 medals already to her name, including five golds, plus four gold medals in Para-cycling from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Masters has a compelling personal story, having been given up for adoption in Ukraine and later adopted by an American who brought her to the United States as a child. She will compete alongside her fiancé, fellow Paralympian Aaron Pike, in Milano Cortina.

Another athlete to watch is Norwegian Para-alpine skier Jesper Pedersen, the only competitor to win four gold medals in Beijing 2022. Para-ice hockey is a top event to follow, as unlike Olympic ice hockey, it features mixed teams competing in a single bracket rather than separate men’s and women’s tournaments. The United States and Canada, who faced off in gold medal matches at last month’s Winter Olympics with the US prevailing, are also top seeds in the Paralympic tournament, setting up a rivalry amid heightened political tensions.

Source: www.dw.com