The 2026 Winter Paralympics kick off in Italy on Friday with a dramatic and unprecedented mix of style, sporting excellence and historical significance.
More important is the celebration of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), which calls the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games the “greatest ever in history”, dominated by record participation from multiple disciplines.
A threatened boycott
However, the opening ceremony is facing boycott threats from several countries. As reported by the Guardian, seven countries including Estonia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine boycotted the ceremony in protest at the inclusion of Russian athletes.
The British government has also refused to attend the 2026 Winter Paralympics due to the threatened start of the competition and concerns over Russia’s participation.
Largest event ever with record participation
According to IPC, the 2026 Winter Paralympics will see a record 56 countries and 616 athletes compete in 79 medal events across 6 sports, surpassing the previous record of 564 athletes from 49 countries in Pyeongchang 2018.
The IPC also celebrated record women’s participation, calling it a historic milestone for Milano Cortina’s Winter Paralympics.
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There will be 160 female athletes competing in the fourth consecutive Winter Paralympics.
delegations
Five countries will make their debut at the Winter Paralympics: El Salvador, Haiti, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Portugal. China tops the delegation list with 70 athletes, followed by 68 from the US and 46 from Canada.
Timeline of events
The games run from March 6 to March 15, 2026.
- March 6 opening ceremony (Verona Arena)
- March 7 Alpine skiing downhill, biathlon sprint
- March 8 Finals snowboard cross, biathlon events
- March 9 Alpine Super-G, group stage ice hockey
- March 10 Alpine Combined, Cross Country Sprint
- March 11 Wheelchair curling mixed doubles final
- March 12 Alpine giant slalom
- March 13 Biathlon Individual, Snowboard Slalom
- March 14 Team final wheelchair curling
- March 15 Ice hockey gold medal game and closing ceremony
Featured sports
- Cross-country skiing
- Biathlon
- Snowboarding
- Alpine skiing
- To curl
- Ice hockey
Where to look?
A global audience can watch the match via official broadcasters and streaming platforms. In the US, coverage of the Winter Paralympics is available on USA Network, Peacock, NBC and CNBC.
In the UK you can watch it on YouTube and Channel 4. In Canada and Australia, coverage is available on CBC Gem and 9Now respectively.
