Games
Milano Cortina 2026
The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will feature iconic venues and beautiful settings, combining the attractions of a modern European metropolis with a classic Alpine environment.
Milano Cortina 2026
Milano Cortina 2026
Milano Cortina, Italy, will host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2026.
Previous Summer Games
New Zealand has competed at every summer Paralympic Games since Tel Aviv 1968, winning over 200 medals.
Previous Winter Games
The Paralympic Winter Games are held on a four yearly cycle immediately following their respective Winter Olympics.
Future Games
Planning is underway for future winter and summer Paralympic and Olympic Games. Find out where they will be held.
Virtus Global Games
The Virtus Global Games are held every four years in the year preceding the Paralympic Games.
The Paralympic Games is the largest international event for disabled athletes and it is held in the same style as the Olympic Games.
The Paralympic Games are held on a four yearly cycle for both the summer and winter games. The Paralympic Games are held immediately following their respective Olympic Games, in the same host city and venues as the Olympic Games.
The Paralympic Games began in 1948 by Sir Ludwig Guttmann who wanted to start a sport that involved the veterans from World War II. On 29 July 1948, the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, the first organised competition for wheelchair athletes was founded. The event was called the Stoke Mandeville Games and included 16 injured service men and women who took part in the sport of Para archery.
The Games were later renamed the International Stoke Mandeville Games in 1952 when Dutch ex-servicemen joined in the event. The first official Paralympic Games were in Rome in 1960 and featured eight sports. The term “Paralympic Games“ derives its name from the fact that the Games are held in ‘parallel’ directly after the Olympic Games.
Previous Summer Paralympic Games
The first summer Paralympic Games was held in 1960 in Rome. New Zealand first competed in the third Paralympic Games: Tel Aviv 1968. New Zealand has competed at 15 summer Paralympic Games, winning a total of 210 medals, including 81 golds. The biggest medal haul for New Zealand was at New York & Stoke Mandeville 1984. There are now 22 summer Paralympic sports. Paralympians have represented New Zealand in most Para sports. This includes some sports which are not currently part of the Paralympic Games competition, such as bowls and Para sailing. To date, no one has represented New Zealand in Para badminton at the Paralympic Games.
Previous Paralympic Winter Games
The first Paralympic Winter Games was held in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. New Zealand first competed in the second Paralympic Winter Games: Geilo 1980. There are now 6 winter Paralympic sports. Paralympians have represented New Zealand Para alpine skiing and Para snowboarding. To date, no one has represented New Zealand in Para biathlon, Para cross-country, Para ice hockey or Wheelchair curling at the Winter Paralympics. The next Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Milano Cortina, Italy from 6 March through to 15 March 2026.
