Winter Paralympics 2026 Events: Everything You Need to Know About Milano Cortina
The Winter Paralympics 2026 are officially underway. The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games opened on March 6, 2026, at the Arena di Verona, showcasing around 665 athletes competing in 79 medal events across six sports. This is a milestone edition, and action is happening right now across the Italian Alps.
Winter Paralympics 2026 Events: Six Sports, 79 Medal Contests
Athletes are fighting for glory in 79 medal events across six sports: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling. Each discipline spans multiple classification categories, giving athletes with varying impairments equal opportunity to compete at the highest level.
Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para snowboarding, Para ice hockey, and wheelchair curling make up the full Winter Paralympics 2026 program. Competition is spread across sites in Lombardy and the Dolomites, providing a world-class backdrop for elite Para sport.
Para Alpine Skiing Leads With 30 Medal Events
Para alpine skiing is an exciting, technical, and daring sport in which athletes race down steep slopes at speeds of over 100 kilometres per hour. It is the largest single discipline at these Games.
Para alpine skiing's 30 medal events are the most of any sport at the Games. Athletes compete in sitting, standing, and visually impaired categories across downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and super-combined formats.
Wheelchair Curling Debuts Mixed Doubles at Winter Paralympics 2026
One of the biggest storylines of the Winter Paralympics 2026 events is a historic first. One medal event — wheelchair curling mixed doubles — will be featured at the Winter Paralympics for the first time.
The American duo of Steve Emt and Laura Dwyer are representing the U.S. in this debut event. Wheelchair curling differs from the Olympic version in one key way — unlike curling at the Winter Olympics, sweeping is not allowed in wheelchair curling.
Oksana Masters and Team USA Headlines
Oksana Masters, the most decorated U.S. Paralympian ever, is looking to add a 20th medal to her collection, despite a series of injuries, infections, and a recent concussion she revealed on Instagram just days before the Games.
Masters is seeking her 15th Winter Paralympic medal in the women's sitting classification race, and will be joined by Kendall Gretsch and Nicole Zaino from the U.S. On the snowboard side, Brenna Huckaby, one of the most decorated American snowboarders, carries four Paralympic medals across two Games into Milano Cortina 2026.
Para Ice Hockey and the U.S. Sled Hockey Championship Chase
The U.S. sled hockey team is hoping to fend off rival Canada for its fifth straight gold medal. Para ice hockey is known for its speed, physicality, and dramatic finishes, making it one of the most-watched winter paralympics 2026 events throughout the competition.
The Para Ice Hockey final is expected to be one of the last major events before the closing ceremony.
How to Watch Winter Paralympics 2026 Events Live
NBC is offering a record eight hours of Winter Paralympics coverage on TV, including primetime windows on both Saturdays.
All events can be live-streamed on Peacock, with cable viewing options available on USA Network on weekdays and CNBC on weekends. The Winter Paralympics 2026 events run through March 15, with the closing ceremony set at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
