Visually impaired Russian athlete Varvara Voronchikhina secured bronze in the women's downhill standing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, marking Russia's first medal in the event since 2014. The race took place on March 7 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, as Russian competitors returned under their national flag after years of restrictions. Meanwhile, U.S. athletes Anna Soens and Ravi Drugan competed in the downhill sitting category.
The 2026 Winter Paralympics opened with para alpine skiing events at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. On Saturday, March 7, visually impaired skier Varvara Voronchikhina of Russia earned bronze in the women's downhill standing competition. This marked Russia's first Paralympic medal in 12 years, following suspensions due to doping violations and military conflicts that had forced athletes to compete as neutrals.
In the sitting category, Oregon natives Anna Soens and Ravi Drugan represented the United States in their first of five events, including alpine combined, giant slalom, Super-G, and slalom. The downhill sitting race featured athletes using monoskis at speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour. Soens, who broke her back in a rock climbing accident in Portland about 10 years ago, became the first paraplegic woman to summit Mount Hood in 2018. Drugan, from Eugene, lost both legs above the knee at age 14 in a train accident but found para skiing through Oregon Adaptive Sports in Bend, initially encouraged by his father.
Para alpine skiing divides competitors into sitting, standing, and visually impaired groups. The men's and women's downhill finals began at 3:30 a.m. ET, with live coverage on Peacock and re-airs on CNBC at 5:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. ET. NBC holds broadcasting rights, offering streams via Peacock and TV on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. The Paralympics, held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, feature six sports through March 15.
