Overview
The 2026 Paralympic Winter Games take place over 10 days, from March 6 to 15, staged across three northern Italian hubs: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo and Val di Fiemme. Organizers expect about 665 athletes from 56 nations 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 classification categories to reflect different types and levels of impairment.
A milestone edition
These are the 14th Winter Paralympics and mark 50 years since the first Winter Paralympics, held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. Paralympic competition returns to Italy for the second time—20 years on from Torino 2006—and recalls Italy’s place in Paralympic history: Rome hosted the first Paralympic Summer Games in 1960.
What’s new in 2026
Wheelchair curling mixed doubles debuts as a Paralympic medal event, mirroring the mixed doubles curling added to the Olympic program in 2018. The discipline has had a World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship since 2022; Scotland are the current world champions.
Five countries will make their Winter Paralympics debut: El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Portugal.
Russia and Belarus: the IPC decision and places allocated
In September the International Paralympic Committee voted to lift the ban that had been imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Under the IPC ruling, athletes from Russia and Belarus may compete under their national flags and hear their national anthems.
Previously, the IOC had allowed a limited number of Russians and Belarusians to participate under a neutral banner at the recent Winter Olympics. For Milan–Cortina 2026, the IPC has offered Russia six wildcard slots across alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding (evenly split between men and women). Belarus has been granted four places, all in cross-country skiing.
Reaction to the reinstatement
The IPC decision prompted protests from several national Paralympic committees. A number of countries announced they would boycott the opening ceremony in Verona: Ukraine was first to declare a boycott, followed by Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Poland. Other delegations said they would not send officials to the ceremony; Germany said its athletes would not attend in person but would contribute pre-recorded segments to be broadcast. An IPC source said national flags would be carried by volunteers, rather than athletes, for logistical reasons at the opening.
Athletes and events to watch
– Oksana Masters: The biggest name entering Milano Cortina is U.S. multisport star Oksana Masters. The 36-year-old will compete in Para-biathlon and Para cross-country skiing at her fourth Winter Paralympics. Masters already has 14 Winter Paralympic medals, including five golds, and she also won four Para-cycling golds across Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Born in Ukraine and adopted by an American family, Masters will compete alongside her fiancé Aaron Pike.
– Jesper Pedersen: Norway’s Para-alpine standout was the only athlete to win four gold medals at Beijing 2022 and will be a major contender again.
– Para-ice hockey: One of the most-watched sports, Paralympic ice hockey is run in a single mixed-gender bracket. The United States and Canada enter as the top seeds; the U.S. are bidding for a fifth straight gold while Canada aims to reclaim the top spot.
Impact of regional conflict on athletes and travel
So far, wider regional tensions have mainly affected travel logistics for some competitors, especially those flying from or via the Middle East. The United States delegation is expected to include 72 athletes. Iran and Israel are each represented by one qualified athlete: Abolfazi Khatibi (23), a Para cross-country skier for Iran, and Sheina Vaspi (24), a Para-alpine skier for Israel.
The IOC has called on UN member states to assist athletes affected by recent conflicts in getting to the Games, citing the non-binding Olympic Truce Resolution that the UN General Assembly typically passes before each Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Further coverage
Edited by Matt Pearson.
Related feature: a ski club in the Austrian Alps has been working to make slopes more accessible (video).