Record Numbers Set to Compete At Paralympics as 2026 Games Get Underway

Milano Cortina 2026, which begins later today, is poised to become the largest Paralympic Winter Games to date, with a record number of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and Para athletes taking part. Marking the 50th anniversary of the Paralympic Winter Games, a total of 612 athletes from 56 NPCs will compete in 79 medal events across six sports. This surpasses the previous high of 564 athletes from 49 delegations at PyeongChang 2018. When the inaugural Games took place in Örnsköldsvik in 1976, just 198 athletes from 16 nations were involved.

Debut NPCs

Five NPCs will appear at the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time. El Salvador, competing at a Winter Games for the first time in either Olympic or Paralympic history, will field two Para cross-country skiers: David Chavez and Jonathan Arias. Haiti and North Macedonia will both debut in Para alpine skiing through Ralf Etienne and Zoran Jovanovski. Montenegro’s Andrej Sibalic and Portugal’s Diogo Carmona will compete in Para snowboard, marking their nations’ first Winter Paralympic representation.

Athletes from El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have received support from the IPC’s Sport for Mobility programme over the past year to help secure qualification. In total, 39 athletes and four guides from 23 NPCs competing at Milano Cortina 2026 have benefitted from Sport for Mobility and other development initiatives.

Record female participation

Women’s participation will reach a new high for the fourth consecutive Paralympic Winter Games, with 160 female athletes competing — an 18% increase on the previous record of 136 at Beijing 2022. Six NPCs will send their largest-ever groups of female athletes: Australia (5), Belarus (3), Brazil (3), Croatia (2), Korea (6), and Latvia (4).

Five sports will also see record female fields: Para alpine skiing (57), Para biathlon (45), Para cross-country skiing (65), Para snowboard (15), and wheelchair curling (25). Para ice hockey will feature a female athlete for the second Games in a row and the fourth time since the sport’s Paralympic debut.

Largest delegations

China, the top nation at Beijing 2022, will send the biggest team with 70 athletes, followed by the USA (68) and Canada (46). Host nation Italy will compete with 42 athletes. Seven NPCs will send their largest-ever Winter Paralympic delegations: Brazil (8), Czechia (24), Italy (42), Kazakhstan (7), Latvia (7), Slovakia (28), and Ukraine (25).

The growth of the Games is further reflected in record NPC participation across Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling. Para alpine skiing will feature athletes from 44 NPCs across 30 medal events, surpassing the previous record of 37 NPCs at Beijing 2022. Para biathlon will include 21 NPCs, up from 16 at PyeongChang 2018. Thirty-two NPCs will contest Para cross-country skiing, while Para snowboard will welcome athletes from 28 NPCs — both new highs.

Colleen Wrenn, IPC Executive Director Paralympic Games, said the scale of participation reflects the commitment of NPCs and International Federations in the build-up to Milano Cortina 2026. She highlighted the rising competitive depth across all sports and the broader impact of the Paralympic Movement in shifting perceptions of disability.

A total of 78 bipartite qualification slots have been allocated across Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, and Para snowboard, involving athletes from 36 NPCs.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will open on 6 March at the Arena di Verona. Tickets start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with around 89% of all tickets priced at EUR 35 or less. Tickets are available at tickets.milanocortina2026.org

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