2026 Winter Paralympics: Dates, Sports and Host Cities
The 14th Winter Paralympic Games are underway in northern Italy, with 665 athletes from 55 nations competing across six sports and 79 medal events. From the Roman amphitheatre in Verona to the Dolomite slopes above Cortina, here is everything happening at Milano Cortina 2026, including the live medal table, venue breakdown, sport-by-sport breakdown, and all the biggest storylines of the Games.
The Games at a Glance
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games are the 14th edition of the Winter Paralympics, governed by the International Paralympic Committee and held across three clusters of venues in Lombardy and northeast Italy. Competition runs from March 6 to March 15, 2026, with wheelchair curling having begun two days earlier on March 4.
These Games mark the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Winter Paralympics, which were held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 1976. They are also the third Paralympic Games hosted on Italian soil, following Rome 1960 (the first Paralympic Games ever held) and Turin 2006.
The Opening Ceremony took place on March 6 at the Verona Arena, a first-century Roman amphitheatre, in a show entitled "Life in Motion." The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for March 15 at the Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the same venue that hosted the Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Winter Olympics.
The Paralympic flame was lit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, and carried by 501 torchbearers across 2,000 kilometres through five Italian cities including Venice, Padua, and Cortina d'Ampezzo before arriving at the Verona Arena for the Opening Ceremony on March 6. The torch itself, named "Essential," was designed by Studio Carlo Ratti Associati and made primarily from recycled aluminium and bronze.
Host Cities and Competition Venues
The Games are spread across three clusters, each hosting different sports, and connected by a Paralympic Village in each location. The three competition clusters are Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Val di Fiemme.
Home of Para ice hockey at the Games. Canada defeated Italy 14-1 in the tournament opener in front of the highest-ever Para ice hockey attendance in Winter Paralympic history. The arena was built specifically for the 2026 Games as part of Milan's broader urban regeneration in the Santa Giulia district.
Site of Para alpine skiing events including downhill, super-G, super combined, slalom, and giant slalom. The venue sits in the heart of the Dolomites at altitude, with the first alpine medals awarded here on Day 1. Austria's Veronika Aigner won the Games' first medal event, the women's downhill visually impaired category.
Hosts wheelchair curling competition and doubles as the Closing Ceremony venue on March 15. This historic stadium hosted the Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games, linking the 2026 Games to seventy years of winter sport history in this alpine resort town.
Dedicated biathlon venue in the Cortina cluster. Para snowboard events also take place in this cluster, with the Cortina slopes providing technically demanding terrain for the boardercross and banked slalom events.
Competition site for Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing, both of which take place in the Fiemme Valley. Natalie Wilkie of Canada won her maiden Para biathlon gold here on March 8 in the women's individual standing event, leading from start to finish with zero shooting penalties.
UNESCO World Heritage Site and first-century Roman amphitheatre. Hosted the Opening Ceremony on March 6. Underwent extensive accessibility modifications ahead of the ceremony to accommodate athletes and spectators with disabilities. Located 250km from Cortina, meaning several delegations bypassed the ceremony for logistical reasons.
Source: International Paralympic Committee — Milano Cortina 2026 Official Site
Also read: Finland's Nuclear Weapons Policy Shift Raises Global Attention — how Europe is rethinking security while the world gathers in Italy for the Games.The Six Sports: A Complete Guide
Six sports are on the 2026 Winter Paralympic programme, spanning 79 medal events. Para alpine skiing has the largest medal programme with 30 events, while Para ice hockey is the only team sport. A mixed doubles event in wheelchair curling makes its Paralympic debut at these Games.
Contested across five disciplines: downhill, super-G, super combined, giant slalom, and slalom. Athletes compete in three functional categories: standing, sitting, and visually impaired (with a sighted guide). All downhill medals were decided on Day 1. Austria's Veronika Aigner and Johannes Aigner (guide Nico Haberl) both won gold on opening day.
Races ranging from sprint to long-distance formats across standing, sitting, and visually impaired categories. Takes place at Lago di Tesero in Val di Fiemme. Ukraine is a traditional powerhouse in this discipline and topped the Day 1 medal table largely through cross-country results. Events begin from March 10.
Combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. Athletes compete in sprint and individual formats across sitting, standing, and visually impaired categories. Six events total. Ukraine swept the men's visually impaired biathlon sprint podium on Day 1. Canada's Natalie Wilkie won the individual standing gold on Day 2. Oksana Masters of the USA defended her sprint sitting title, claiming her 20th Paralympic medal.
Contested in snowboard cross and banked slalom across lower limb impaired, upper limb impaired, and intellectually impaired categories. All Para snowboard medals were decided on Day 2. Competition takes place in the Cortina d'Ampezzo cluster on the mountain slopes above the resort town.
The only team sport on the programme. Played by athletes with lower limb impairments on ice sledges. One gold medal event decided by tournament format. Defending champions Canada opened with a 14-1 win over Italy in front of record attendance at the Milano Santa Giulia arena. The USA, Canada, Czech Republic, and South Korea are among the leading contenders.
Teams of four deliver stones from stationary wheelchairs, without the sweeping element used in able-bodied curling. A mixed doubles event debuts at these Games, adding two new medal events to the programme. Competition began on March 4, two days before the official Opening Ceremony. Hosted at the historic Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Live Medal Table: After Day 2 (March 8, 2026)
Twelve of 79 medal events have been decided as of the end of Day 2. Ukraine leads the overall standings, with China close behind. Austria is the only other nation to have won multiple golds. Russia made its first podium appearances since the 2014 Sochi Games, with two bronze medals in Para alpine skiing.
| # | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ukraine | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | China | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Austria | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Germany | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 6 | Norway | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Sweden | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Canada | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | France | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Italy | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Russia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Source: Olympics.com — Milano Cortina 2026 Official Medal Count
Also read: Israel & USA Vs Iran War | Leading towards WWIII? — the conflict that caused Iran's sole Paralympic athlete to withdraw hours before the Opening Ceremony.The Biggest Stories of the Games So Far
Ukraine Dominates the Opening Days
Ukraine arrived in Italy as the largest single delegation at the Games and has delivered accordingly. Ukrainian athletes swept the entire podium in the men's Para biathlon sprint visually impaired event on Day 1, with Oleksandr Kazik taking gold, Iaroslav Reshetynskyi silver, and Anatolii Kovalevskyi bronze. Ukraine leads the overall medal table after two days of competition. The Ukrainian delegation also boycotted the Opening Ceremony in protest at the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Russia Returns After Twelve Years
The return of Russia and Belarus to Paralympic competition under their national flags for the first time since 2014 has been the most politically charged story of these Games. The IPC reinstated the Russian Paralympic Committee in September 2025, citing a desire for consistency after allowing Israel to compete despite the Gaza conflict. Ukraine and its European allies condemned the decision as inappropriate while Russian troops remain in Ukraine.
Russia won its first Paralympic medals since Sochi 2014 on Day 1: Varvara Voronchikhina took bronze in the women's downhill standing, and Alexei Bugaev, a three-time Paralympic gold medalist making his return, won bronze in the men's downhill standing. Both results were met with a mixture of sporting recognition and political anger from competitors in the Cortina finish area.
Ukraine's Paralympic Committee had pushed hard to exclude Russia and Belarus entirely. When the IPC rejected that position, Ukraine's delegation chose to boycott the Opening Ceremony rather than march in the same procession. The sight of Ukrainian and Russian athletes competing on the same slopes in the same events, days after Russia continued its invasion of Ukrainian territory, has cast a shadow over the Games that organisers have been unable to resolve.
Oksana Masters Claims Her 20th Paralympic Medal
One of the Games' most celebrated moments came on Day 1 when Oksana Masters of the United States defended her Para biathlon women's sprint sitting title to claim her 20th Paralympic medal overall. Born in Ukraine and adopted by an American family, Masters has become one of the most decorated American Paralympians of the modern era. Her gold on Day 1 came in a flawless performance, with zero shooting penalties. Her training partner and fellow American Kendall Gretsch took silver in the same event.
New Nations, Record Reach
Five nations are making their Winter Paralympic debut at these Games: El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Portugal. El Salvador is notably the only country competing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics that is not participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which concluded on February 22. The Games are being broadcast in a record 126 countries.
Iran had been scheduled to participate but its sole qualifying athlete withdrew a few hours before the Opening Ceremony, unable to travel to Italy as a direct result of the ongoing 2026 Iran war.
Also read: Fuel Shortage Warning Amid Rising War Tensions — how the Middle East conflict that kept Iran off the Paralympic start list is rippling through global supply chains.International Women's Day at the Paralympics
Day 2 coincided with International Women's Day on March 8, a detail the IPC and organising committee highlighted prominently. Canada's Natalie Wilkie won individual gold in the Para biathlon women's standing event on the morning of March 8, calling it a day she had manifested wearing gold glitter on her face before the race began. The Games feature a record number of female athletes in the 665-strong field.
Day-by-Day Schedule Overview
Wheelchair Curling Begins
Competition opens two days before the official ceremony with wheelchair curling round robin sessions at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Opening Ceremony — Verona Arena
Official Opening Ceremony at the Arena di Verona. All Paralympic cauldrons lit. Competition begins with Para alpine skiing and Para biathlon medal events on the same day.
Day 1: Alpine Skiing Downhill, Biathlon Sprint
Para alpine skiing downhill medals awarded across all six categories. Para biathlon sprint medals decided in Tesero. Ukraine sweeps men's biathlon VI podium. Russia wins first Paralympics medals since 2014.
Day 2: Snowboard, Biathlon Individual — International Women's Day
All Para snowboard medals decided across eight events. Para biathlon individual events in Tesero. Natalie Wilkie wins individual biathlon gold. Oksana Masters defends sprint sitting title for 20th career medal.
Days 3–6: Alpine Skiing Continues, Para Ice Hockey
Super-G and super combined alpine skiing events. Para ice hockey group stage continues. Wheelchair curling round robins. Para cross-country skiing begins March 10 in Tesero.
Days 7–8: Slalom, Cross-Country, Ice Hockey Knockouts
Para alpine slalom and giant slalom events. Para cross-country distance races. Para biathlon resumes March 13. Para ice hockey semifinals and final. Wheelchair curling medal rounds.
Closing Ceremony — Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium
Final competition day. Closing Ceremony entitled "Italian Souvenir" produced by G2 Eventi and Casta Diva Group at the historic Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium, venue of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony.
How to Watch the 2026 Winter Paralympics
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics are being shown in a record-breaking 126 countries, the widest broadcast reach in Winter Paralympic history. Rights and streaming options vary by country.
NBC Olympics holds US rights. Live streams are available on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. Peacock subscribers have access to full replays and highlights. Some events are also broadcast on NBC and USA Network.
Channel 4 holds the UK broadcast rights for the 2026 Paralympics, continuing its long-running partnership with the Games. Streaming via Channel 4's on-demand platform. Coverage focuses on British athletes and medal events.
Seven Network and 7Plus provide Australian coverage of the Paralympics. Free streaming on 7Plus for Australian residents.
Olympics.com provides free replays, highlights, and medal moments globally. Sign-up is free and allows access to full event replays after competition concludes. Live streams are available in markets without a dedicated rights holder.
In-person tickets start from EUR 15. A full 89% of tickets are priced at less than EUR 35. Tickets for under-14s start at EUR 10. Limited availability remains for certain events. Sold via the official Milano Cortina 2026 ticketing portal.
Milo, a brown stoat, is the Paralympic mascot for Milano Cortina 2026. He is depicted as having been born without a leg and learned to use his tail in its place. The character represents ingenuity, willpower, and creativity — the three values the IPC identified as central to the Paralympic movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Comes Next?
With twelve of 79 medal events decided after two competition days, the bulk of the Games lies ahead. Para cross-country skiing begins on March 10 in Val di Fiemme, opening a new front for Ukraine, Norway, and Canada to add to their medal tallies. Para alpine skiing continues through the week with giant slalom and slalom among the most competitive events remaining.
The Para ice hockey tournament builds toward its semifinal and final stage in the latter days of the Games. Para biathlon resumes on March 13. The wheelchair curling competition is running throughout, building toward its medal rounds in the final days before the stadium transitions to host the Closing Ceremony.
The political story of Russia's participation will continue to simmer throughout. The closer Ukrainian and Russian athletes come to sharing a podium or facing each other in competition, the more attention will shift from sport to geopolitics. It is a tension the IPC chose to accept when it lifted the ban, and it will not disappear before the flame is extinguished on March 15 in Cortina.
From Oksana Masters, born in Ukraine and adopted into America, claiming her 20th medal, to the Ukrainian athletes who swept a podium days after arriving from a country under active bombardment, to the debutant nations competing at a Winter Games for the first time, Milano Cortina 2026 is living up to the Opening Ceremony's theme: Life in Motion. Whatever the politics surrounding them, these athletes are delivering sport at its most compelling.