The 2026 Winter Paralympics will take place from March 6 to 15 in Milano Cortina, Italy, marking the event's 50th anniversary with over 600 athletes competing in six sports. Ukrainian and Dutch officials plan to boycott the opening ceremony due to the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes under their national flags. Team GB features several medal hopefuls, including alpine skier Menna Fitzpatrick.
The 14th Winter Paralympics, held for the second time in Italy after Torino 2006, will span venues in Milan, Cortina D'Ampezzo, and Val di Fiemme. The opening ceremony is scheduled for March 6 at the Arena di Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage site, while the closing ceremony will occur on March 15 at the Cortina Curling Stadium, which hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics opening.
Wheelchair curling begins early on March 4 with mixed doubles, including Great Britain's match against Estonia. The six sports include para alpine skiing at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, para biathlon and cross-country skiing at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, para ice hockey at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, para snowboard at Cortina Para Snowboard Park, and wheelchair curling at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Team GB's medal hopefuls feature Menna Fitzpatrick, the nation's most decorated Winter Paralympian with six medals, including slalom gold from Pyeongchang 2018, competing alongside guide Katie Guest despite a recent knee injury. Visually impaired skier Sam Cozens, born with nystagmus, and snowboarder Davy Zyw, the first with Motor Neurone Disease at the Games, are also in contention after strong European Cup performances.
International stars include American Oksana Masters, with 14 Winter Paralympic medals, and Brenna Huckaby aiming for more in snowboarding. Italian Giacomo Bertagnolli seeks to add to his four golds in alpine skiing, while Chinese Wang Haitao targets a third wheelchair curling title. Ukrainian Oleksandra Kononova, with multiple golds in biathlon and cross-country, represents her nation despite the boycott.
The International Paralympic Committee ruled in September 2025 that Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete under their flags and anthems, ending a ban stemming from doping scandals and the 2022 Ukraine invasion. Russia has six spots allocated, Belarus four. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision "awful" and "dirty," stating, "I think this is not a just decision, so we will react." Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi added, "We will not take part in any other official Paralympic events." Dutch officials have similarly opted out of the opening due to Russia.
