The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina mark the event's 50th anniversary, with over 600 athletes competing across six sports from March 6 to 15. Nations including Kazakhstan and Australia have announced their teams, while the return of the Russian flag prompts a boycott threat from Ukraine. Opening ceremonies will occur at the UNESCO-listed Arena di Verona.
The Winter Paralympic Games, first held in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, with around 200 athletes in two sports, now feature more than 600 participants in six disciplines: para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para ice hockey, para snowboard, and wheelchair curling. This edition, hosted in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and other northern Italian cities, coincides with the 20th anniversary of Italy's previous hosting in Turin 2006.
Kazakhstan will send seven athletes to compete in para cross-country skiing and para biathlon. The delegation includes flag bearer Yerbol Khamitov (class LW12), unofficial vice-captain Alexander Gerlits, and Sergey Usoltsev (both LW12), alongside debutants Yury Berezin (LW12), Vladislav Kobal (LW8), Nurlan Alimov (LW6), and Anna Grachova (NS3). Khamitov, Gerlits, Usoltsev, and Berezin will participate in both sports, while Grachova, Kobal, and Alimov focus on cross-country skiing. Athletes will stay in the Predazzo Olympic and Paralympic Village, with events at the Tesero ski and biathlon arena. Biathlon begins March 7, and cross-country concludes March 15. Kazakhstan's history includes three medals: silver by Lyubov Vorobyova in 1994, gold by Alexander Kolyadin in 2018, and bronze by Gerlits in 2022.
Australia's team of 14 athletes and two sighted guides represents a record four sports, captained by para snowboarder Sean Pollard. Highlights include first Indigenous Winter Paralympian Amanda Reid, youngest female Liana France (16 years), and oldest Michael Milton (52 years), marking his sixth Winter Games and longest comeback. Eight athletes debut, including France and guides Ethan Jackson and Lynn Cullen. Dual Summer-Winter competitors Lauren Parker and Reid, both gold medalists, join the roster. Chef de Mission Ben Troy noted the team's hard work and support from organizations like Snow Australia.
Controversy surrounds the Russian flag and anthem's return, absent since 2014 and 2016 due to doping and the 2022 Ukraine invasion. Ukraine's sports minister Matvii Bidnyi stated, “We will not take part in any other official Paralympic events,” planning to boycott the March 6 opening at Arena di Verona, retrofitted for accessibility. The closing is March 15 at Cortina Curling Stadium. China, with 61 medals in Beijing 2022, is favored to lead again.
