Milano Cortina 2026: Largest Paralympic Winter Games
Author: International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
Published: 5 Mar 2026 - Updated: 26 Aug 2026
Publication Type: Announcement
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This article provides a detailed overview of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, which will be the largest in the event's history with 612 athletes from 56 National Paralympic Committees set to compete across 79 medal events in six sports. It highlights significant milestones including five debuting nations - El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Portugal - along with record female participation of 160 women and expanded delegation sizes for several countries. The information is particularly relevant to people with disabilities, adaptive sport followers, and anyone interested in the global growth of inclusive athletic competition, as it outlines how development programs like Sport for Mobility have helped athletes from underrepresented nations qualify for the Games for the first time.*
At a Glance
- 1 - China fields the biggest delegation with 70 athletes, ahead of the USA with 68 and Canada with 46. Host nation Italy brings a team of 42 athletes.
- 2 - Ticket prices begin at EUR 10 for children under 14. Roughly 89 per cent of all tickets are available for EUR 35 or less.
- 3 - El Salvador competes at its first ever Winter Games, sending David Chavez and Jonathan Arias in Para cross-country skiing. Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Portugal also make their debuts.
- 4 - A total of 39 athletes and four guides from 23 nations reached the Games with help from the Sport for Mobility program. This development funding widened access for underrepresented countries over the past year.
Topic Definition
- Milano Cortina 2026
Milano Cortina 2026 is the 2026 Paralympic and Olympic Winter Games, staged jointly by the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The Paralympic edition carries added weight because it marks the 50th anniversary of the Paralympic Winter Games, and it stands as the largest ever held, with 612 athletes from 56 National Paralympic Committees contesting 79 medal events. Competition spans six disciplines - Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling - across venues in northern Italy, with the opening ceremony held at the Arena di Verona on 6 March 2026.
Overview
Milano Cortina 2026 will be the biggest Paralympic Winter Games in history with the most ever National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and Para athletes set to compete.
As the Paralympic Winter Games celebrates a special milestone with its 50th anniversary, history will be made when 612 athletes from 56 NPCs will line-up in 79 medal events across six sports. The previous record was 564 athletes from 49 delegations at PyeongChang 2018. When the Winter Games began in Ornskoldsvik in 1976, there were 198 athletes from 16 countries.
Five Debutant NPCs
Amongst the 56 competing NPCs will be five Paralympic Winter Games debutants.
El Salvador has never competed at any Winter Games - Olympic or Paralympic - but will have two Para athletes competing in Para cross-country skiing - David Chavez and Jonathan Arias.
Haiti and North Macedonia will both make their Paralympic Winter Games debuts in Para alpine skiing courtesy of Ralf Etienne and Zoran Jovanovski respectively. Montenegro's Andrej Sibalic and Portugal's Diogo Carmona will both line-up in Para snowboard, ensuring representation of their respective countries for the first time at a Paralympic Winter Games.
The athletes from El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have all benefited from funding support from the IPC's Sport for Mobility program over the last 12 months to qualify for the Games. In total 39 athletes and four guides from 23 NPCs who will compete at the Games received sport development support through Sport for Mobility and other sport development programs for Milano Cortina 2026.
Record Female Participation
For the fourth successive Paralympic Winter Games, a record number of women will compete. A total of 160 female competitors will compete across all six sports, an 18 per cent increase on the previous record high of 136 women set at Beijing 2022.
Six NPCs will also have a record number of female competitors for the Paralympic Winter Games: Australia (5), Belarus (3), Brazil (3), Croatia (2), Korea (6), Latvia (4).
Five sports will have a record number of female competitors: Para alpine skiing (57 women), Para biathlon (45), Para cross-country skiing (65), Para snowboard (15) and wheelchair curling (25). In Para ice hockey a female athlete will compete for the second consecutive Games and the fourth-time ever since the sport was included in the Games.
Biggest Delegations
China, who topped the medals table for the first time at Beijing 2022, have the biggest delegation of all competing NPCs with 70 athletes, followed by USA with 68, and Canada with 46. Hosts Italy boast a team of 42 athletes.
Seven other NPCs will send their biggest ever delegations to a Paralympic Winter Games: Brazil (8 athletes), Czechia (24), Italy (42), Kazakhstan (7), Latvia (7), Slovakia (28) and Ukraine (25).
Highlighting the growth of the Paralympic Winter Games, a record number of NPCs will compete in the sports of Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling.
Para athletes from 44 NPCs will contest 30 medal events in Para alpine skiing, surpassing the previous best of 37 NPCs from Beijing 2022.
In Para biathlon, 21 NPCs will contest 18 medal events. The previous highest was 16 NPCs from PyeongChang 2018.
Thirty-two NPCs will contest the 20 medal events in Para cross-country, one more than PyeongChang 2018.
In Para snowboard where there are eight medal events, Para athletes from 28 NPCs will compete, surpassing the previous high of 24 NPCs at PyeongChang 2018.
Colleen Wrenn, IPC Executive Director Paralympic Games, said:
"The number of records that Milano Cortina 2026 is setting in terms of competing athletes and delegations is a testament to the fantastic work of the NPCs and International Federations in the lead-up to the Games."
"While the number of competitors has increased, so has the intensity of competition with each medal event now boasting a depth of talent never seen to such a level before at Paralympic Winter Games."
"Across all six sports, we are set to witness incredible and historic performances. But the Games are more than just experiencing amazing sport - the power of the Paralympics is in its ability to also change attitudes towards persons with disabilities. It is this unique power that makes the Paralympic Games so transformational."
A total of 78 bipartite qualification slots were awarded to athletes spanning four sports - Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing and Para snowboard - and 36 NPCs.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will open on 6 March at the Arena di Verona.
Ticket prices for the Games start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)
When do the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games take place
The Games open on 6 March 2026 at the Arena di Verona in northern Italy. The opening ceremony marks the start of competition across the six Paralympic winter sports.
Where can people watch the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic events
Events are held at competition venues spread across northern Italy, centered on Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Broadcast coverage is arranged through national rights holders in each participating country.
How many sports are contested at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics
Six sports make up the program at these Games. They are Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.
What was the first Paralympic Winter Games
The inaugural Paralympic Winter Games were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. That edition featured 198 athletes from 16 countries, far smaller than the 2026 field.
How do athletes qualify for the Paralympic Winter Games
Athletes earn places through world ranking results, allocation slots given to National Paralympic Committees, and bipartite invitations. For 2026, a total of 78 bipartite qualification slots were awarded across four sports.
What is the Sport for Mobility program
Sport for Mobility is an International Paralympic Committee initiative that funds athlete and federation development in emerging nations. It helped several debuting countries reach Milano Cortina 2026 for the first time.
How much do tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics cost
Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14. About 89 per cent of all available tickets are priced at EUR 35 or less.
Which country won the most medals at the previous Winter Paralympics
China topped the medal table for the first time at Beijing 2022. It also brings the largest delegation to Milano Cortina 2026 with 70 athletes.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The record-setting scope of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games reflects decades of sustained investment in adaptive winter sport and the broadening of global access to competition for athletes with disabilities. With five nations debuting, female participation at an all-time high, and talent pools deepening across all six disciplines, these Games represent a turning point not only in scale but in the competitive intensity and geographic diversity of the Paralympic winter movement - a trajectory shaped by targeted development funding and federation-level commitment that promises continued growth well beyond this historic 50th anniversary edition in Italy.*
Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and published on 5 Mar 2026, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.
* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.