From Friday 6 to Sunday 15 March, Italy will once again dress up to welcome one of the most exciting sporting events in the world: the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.
The Paralympic programme features 6 sports and a total of 79 medal events (39 menâs, 35 womenâs and 5 mixed), with around 600 athletes from at least 55 countries.
Italy will field a record-breaking delegation: 42 Italian athletes, supported by 3 guides, making it the largest Italian Paralympic team ever.
Competitions will take place across three main venues: Milan, Cortina dâAmpezzo and Tesero (Val di Fiemme).
Sports
Wheelchair Curling
Wheelchair Curling will be the first discipline to get underway, with competitions scheduled from 4 to 15 March at the Ice Stadium in Cortina dâAmpezzo. A Paralympic sport since 2006, it is similar to traditional curling but played in wheelchairs and without sweepers. As a result, each shot requires exceptional precision and tactical skill.
Two competitions are scheduled:
Mixed team tournament with 10 participating nations
Mixed doubles, featuring 8 competing pairs
During each round (called an end), every athlete delivers two stonesâlarge granite rocksâaiming to place them as close as possible to the centre of a circular target marked on the ice. The closer a teamâs stones are to the centre, the more points they score.
Athletes may deliver the stone by hand or using an extender, a device that helps provide direction and power. Some athletes choose to have assistance stabilising their wheelchair, while others compete fully independently.
Para Alpine Skiing: speed on the slopes of Cortina
Para Alpine Skiing will take place from 7 to 14 March on the famous Olympia delle Tofane slope in Cortina dâAmpezzo. It is one of the most spectacular sports of the Games, thanks to its high speeds and technically demanding courses.
The programme includes five disciplines:
Downhill
Super-G
Giant Slalom
Slalom
Alpine Combined
Athletes compete in three main categories:
Sitting, using specially designed sit-skis
Standing, with or without prosthetics
Visually impaired, accompanied by a guide skiing ahead and giving verbal directions throughout the course
Para Snowboard
From 10 to 15 March, the Cortina Para Snowboard Park will host the Para Snowboard competitions. The programme includes six menâs events and two womenâs events, across two disciplines:
Banked slalom, a timed race on a course with banked turns, rollers and changes in gradient
Snowboard cross, featuring individual runs followed by head-to-head races between two athletes
Categories are based on the type of impairment:
Upper (UL): athletes with upper-limb impairments
Lower (LL1 and LL2): athletes with lower-limb impairments, who may use prostheses or braces
Tesero and Val di Fiemme: Cross-Country Skiing and Biathlon
Para Biathlon
Para Biathlon events will be held from 8 to 14 March at the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium in Val di Fiemme. This sport combines cross-country skiing with shooting: athletes ski the course and stop at intervals to shoot at targets.
Three events are scheduled:
- Sprint
- Individual
- Pursuit
Athletes compete in three categories:
- Standing
- Sitting, using a sit-ski
- Visually impaired
For visually impaired athletes, shooting is acoustic rather than visual: the rifle emits sounds that become higher-pitched as the aim gets closer to the centre of the target.
Para Cross-Country Skiing
Also in Tesero, from 8 to 15 March, Para Cross-Country Skiing events will take place. The programme includes:
- Sprint races
- Individual races over various distances
- Two relays: one mixed and one open
Athletes again compete in standing, sitting and visually impaired categories, with guides providing assistance when required.
Para Ice Hockey: the spectacle in Milan
In Milan, at the Santa Giulia Arena, Para Ice Hockey will be played from 6 to 15 March. This is a fast-paced, highly physical team sport played on specially designed sledges. Unlike Olympic ice hockey, Paralympic teams are mixed-gender, with men and women competing together.
The tournament includes:
- Group stage
- Semi-finals
- Medal matches
Each game consists of three 15-minute periods. Athletes use two sticks: one for propulsion on the ice and the other to control and shoot the puck.
Closing Ceremony
The Winter Paralympic Games will conclude on Sunday 15 March with the Closing Ceremony, hosted in Cortina dâAmpezzo. A symbol of Italian winter sports and the beating heart of the Games, Cortina will provide the setting for the final celebration, honouring athletes, volunteers and delegations from around the world.
The ceremony will be a moment of celebration and sharing, retracing ten days of competition, emotion and outstanding sporting achievements. Through performances, music and official moments, Cortina will bid farewell to the Paralympic Games, leaving behind a legacy of inclusion, determination and the unifying power of sport.
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