The 2026 Winter Paralympics (Italian: Milano Cortina 2026 Giochi paralimpici invernali), is an upcoming international winter multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities. This year it is scheduled to take place from March 6 to 15 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy.
This will be the third Paralympic Games hosted in Italy. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympic Games.
The Games are expected to feature 79 events in six Winter Paralympic sports. A mixed doubles event will make its debut in wheelchair curling. A total of 665 athlete quota places are available: 323 for men, 176 for women, and 166 gender-free.
The Paralympics were established to provide elite competition for athletes with disabilities, originally created by Dr. Ludwig Guttmann in 1948 England to aid the rehabilitation of World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. They promote equality, challenge perceptions of disability, and showcase incredible physical, and psychological, athletic achievement.
Why do the Paralympics exist:
- Rehabilitation & Social Integration: The first games, known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, began as a way to help war veterans with disabilities regain physical strength, self-esteem, and social confidence.
- A “Parallel” Elite Competition: The name “Paralympic” derives from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) and “Olympics,” meaning they are games held alongside the Olympic Games to celebrate, not just rehabilitate, athletes with a wide range of impairments.
- Shifting Perceptions: The Games aim to focus on ability rather than disability, fostering a more inclusive world by showcasing elite-level performance.
- Global Unity: Since the 1960 Rome Games, the event has grown into a major international sporting event that brings athletes with varied disabilities together in the spirit of friendship and competition.
The competition events are:
Alpine Skiing:
- Downhill (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
- Super-G (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
- Giant slalom (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
- Slalom (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
- Super combined (sitting, standing, visually impaired): women – men
Also:
With one month to go, the Paralympics are ready to take over Italy and turn Milano Cortina into the global stage for the very best of Para sport.
Support the Team USA dream
Your 100% tax deductible gift fuels Team USA athletes as they pursue excellence at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games – and strengthens their journey long after the Games are over.
Your support assists with the cost of training, health and wellness resources, innovative equipment and more as Team USA athletes strive to reach the podium.
100% of your gift goes to athletes and the programs that make their dreams possible.
Donate to Team USA Fund | TeamUSA.com
