With the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games now just over a week away, it’s the perfect time to brush up on key facts – from milestone anniversaries to Kiwi medal hopes and stunning Italian venues.
When the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games open on 6 March (7 March NZT) at Verona Arena, it will be the 14th Paralympic Winter Games and the 50th anniversary of the first edition in 1976. The Games follow the Olympic Winter Games and bring the world’s best Para athletes to Northern Italy for ten days of intense competition from 6–15 March.
With the countdown on, here are 30 key things to know about the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games – kicking off with a look at some of the athletes who will be representing New Zealand in Italy.
Winter Para athletes
1. Around 650–665 Para athletes from approximately 50 countries are expected to compete at Milano Cortina 2026, making it one of the largest Winter Paralympic programmes to date with 79 medal events.
2. The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will mark 50 years since the first Paralympic Winter Games were held in Örnsköldsvik 1976.
3. Norway remains the most successful nation in Paralympic Winter Games history in terms of gold medals, leading the alltime medal tally. Ragnhild Myklebust (from Norway) holds the record for the most individual Paralympic Winter Games medals, with 27 in total, 22 of which are gold.
4. New Zealand sits in the top 20 nations on the alltime Paralympic Winter Games medals table, with 35 medals across its history, including 17 gold medals in Para alpine skiing. New Zealand currently sits level with Australia in terms of total Paralympic Winter Games medals.
5. New Zealand’s most successful Winter Paralympian is Paralympian #55 Patrick Cooper, who won six medals – four gold, one silver and one bronze – in Para alpine skiing across three Paralympic Winter Games. Read some more inspiring stories from past Paralympic Winter Games.
6. Paralympian #158 Adam Hall MNZM is set to make a recordextending sixth appearance at a Paralympic Winter Games at Milano Cortina 2026, more than any other New Zealander.
7. Hall’s sixth Games appearance will also see him equal the record for the most Paralympic Games appearances by any Kiwi, matching Paralympians #4 Graham Condon QSM and #148 Michael Johnson MNZM, who have both appeared at six Paralympic Summer Games.
8. Hall, a standing Para alpine skier, is already a multiple Paralympic medallist and Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award recipient, recognised globally for exemplifying the spirit and values of the Paralympic Movement.
9. Paralympian #188 Corey Peters MNZM heads to his fourth Paralympic Games at Milano Cortina 2026 and will defend the Men’s Downhill Sitting title he won at Beijing 2022.
10. Peters, a sitskier from New Plymouth, is a fourtime Paralympic medallist and will again contest the Men’s Downhill Sitting, SuperG Sitting and Giant Slalom Sitting events in Italy.
Paralympic Winter Games sports
11. Six sports will feature at Milano Cortina 2026: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para snowboard, Para ice hockey, and Wheelchair curling – the same core programme used at Beijing 2022. Learn more about all of the Paralympic Sports at Milano Cortina.
12. Para alpine skiing includes five disciplines: downhill, superG, giant slalom, slalom and combined events, adapted for sitting, standing and vision-impaired athletes using classification, equipment and guides.
13. Para snowboard athletes compete in events such as snowboardcross and banked slalom, racing headtohead or against the clock on technical, banked courses in Cortina’s Para Snowboard Park.
14. Para Nordic sports at Milano Cortina 2026 – Para cross-country skiing and Para biathlon – will take place in a dedicated Nordic cluster, with athletes covering a range of distances in classic and freestyle techniques.
15. Para biathlon combines cross-country skiing and precision rifle shooting, with visually impaired athletes guided by acoustic signals and other athletes using adapted rifles from standing or sitting positions.
16. Para ice hockey is a fast, physical team sport played on doublebladed sledges using two sticks per player for both propulsion and puck control, with mixedgender teams competing at Milano Cortina 2026.
17. Wheelchair curling teams are mixed-gender and must include at least one female athlete on the ice at all times, with athletes delivering stones from a stationary wheelchair without sweeping.
18. Across ten days, Milano Cortina 2026 will distribute 79 gold medals in these six sports, offering more medal opportunities than any previous Paralympic Winter Games.
19. Many Milano Cortina 2026 Para events will use existing World Cup and World Championship venues, giving athletes familiarity with courses and conditions they have already faced on the international circuit.
20. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) have emphasised accessibility in all competition and training venues, from snow parks to arenas, aiming to create a model of inclusive winter sport infrastructure for Europe.
Paralympic Winter Games venues and schedule
21. The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games officially run from 6–15 March (European time) with Wheelchair curling competition starting on 4 March.
22. Unlike singlecity Games of the past, Milano Cortina 2026 is a multicluster event spread across four main areas: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Verona and Val di Fiemme (Tesero).
23. Verona Arena – a 2000yearold Roman amphitheatre – will host the Opening Ceremony on 6 March 2026 (7 March NZT) marking the first time a Paralympic Winter Opening Ceremony has been staged at such a historic venue.
24. Cortina d’Ampezzo will stage Para alpine skiing technical and speed events as well as Para snowboard and it will host the Closing Ceremony at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on 15 March (16 March NZT).
25. The Olimpia delle Tofane slope in Cortina, a regular stop on the Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit, will be the main venue for Para alpine skiing at Milano Cortina 2026.
26. The Cortina Para Snowboard Park will host all Para snowboard events, with purposebuilt features designed to challenge the world’s best Para riders while meeting strict safety and accessibility standards.
27. Val di Fiemme’s Tesero Cross Country Stadium will be the Nordic cluster for Para crosscountry skiing and Para biathlon, using existing trail networks and a modern biathlon stadium.
28. Milan’s new PalaItalia Santa Giulia (Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena) will be the primary Para ice hockey arena, while Milan will also stage Wheelchair curling in accessible, multipurpose ice venues.
29. Event times and detailed competition schedules – including when to watch Adam Hall and Corey Peters race – will be available through the IPC, Milano Cortina 2026 and Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) websites, and via national broadcasters and streaming platforms such as TVNZ in Aotearoa New Zealand.
30. Fans can follow the NZ Paralympic Team’s journey to Milano Cortina 2026 through PNZ’s Games hub, social channels and news updates, which will share team announcements, behindthescenes content and how to watch the action live from home. Learn more about how and where to watch the action.
The countdown is on
Excitement is starting to build both here in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world. There is just over a week to go until the start of the Paralympic Winter Games which take place 6-15 March (7-16 March NZT). Milano Cortina 2026 promises a sporting extravaganza. It’s a great opportunity to watch some of the best Para athletes in some of the most thrilling sports.
