The Milano-Cortina Paralympics come to a close with another Ukrainian boycott of the Games marked by the return of Russia.
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Ukraine’s misguided closing ceremony marked the end of the Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics on Sunday, hours after the US Para hockey team won the final gold medal of the Games marked by the return of the Russian flag and anthem to the world sports stage.
China continued to dominate as the Paralympic powerhouse and topped the medal table with 15 golds, two more than the United States, matching its total since the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games.
The Milano-Cortina Games marked the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics.
Watch the Paralympic flame go out at the closing ceremony of Milano Cortina 2026.
The Russian anthem, which has not played at the Paralympics for more than a decade, was played eight times in Milano Cortina after the victory of Russian athletes competing under their flag and at the Paralympics for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
Ukraine led the shooting of both the opening and closing ceremonies in protest of the Russian presence. He accused the International Paralympic Committee of discriminating against its athletes in all these games. The IPC said that Ukraine appears to be trying to politicize the event.
The Milano-Cortina Paralympics began less than a week after the United States and Israel launched a military attack on Iran. Para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi, the only Iranian to compete, had to withdraw because he could not travel to Italy safely. Para skier Sheina Vaspi was the only Israeli athlete to enter.
The Paralympic Games returned to Italy after 20 years of being held in Turin. It was the 14th Winter Paralympics since the organization was founded in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in 1976.
The return of Russia
The Russian flag is officially back at the opening ceremony in Verona, and its national anthem was played for the first time at the Games after Para alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won gold last Monday.
The song had not been heard at any Olympics or Paralympics since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.
Russian athletes have returned to compete under their flag at the Winter Paralympics after years of having to do so as neutral athletes due to the country’s doping violations and military conflicts.
The return of the Russian flag and national anthem was seen by some as a sign of a complete return to Olympic circles ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Chinese rule
After coming out on top at every Summer Paralympics since 2004, China again finished first on the medal table at the Winter Paralympics. Russia finished third with eight gold medals. The full medal table is available here.
China won 44 medals in total, 20 more than the US.
Hosts Italy finished fourth with seven gold medals, the same as Austria where siblings Veronika and Johannes Aigner won in Para alpine skiing.
Para alpine skier Veronika Aigner was one of three athletes with four gold medals, along with American Para cross-country skiers Oksana Masters and Jake Adicoff. Masters, the most decorated American Winter Paralympian, won a bronze in addition to his four gold medals. Adicoff is America’s first openly gay Winter Paralympic champion.
Canadians are bright
Para nordic skiing star Natalie Wilkie led Canada with four medals – two golds and a silver in biathlon, and a bronze in cross country. The Salmon Arm, BC, native has 11 Paralympic medals at just 25 years old.
He was named one of Canada’s flag bearers at the closing ceremony along with gold medalist wheelchair thrower Mark Ideson.
Canada finished sixth with 15 medals – three gold, four silver, eight bronze. Canadian Para nordic skiers have won seven medals, four in biathlon and three in cross country.
Canada’s wheelchair folding team made history.
Ideson’s mixed lineup, which includes first baseman Collinda Joseph, second baseman Ina Forrest, third baseman Jon Thurston and sophomore Gilbert Dash, became the first team to ever go 9-0 in the first round.
They followed it up with a complete tournament finish, defeating South Korea and dethroning China for the sport’s fourth Paralympic title and first since 2014.
Canada is the only country to have won a medal in wheelchair curling at every Paralympics since the sport was introduced in 2006. They won the first three tournaments before securing bronze in both 2018 and 2022.
63-year-old Forrest added to his record medal collection as the first person in a wheelchair to compete in five Paralympics.
Canada’s wheelchair folding team needed a dramatic final shot to win gold at the Paralympic Winter Games.
Record Games
Milano Cortina marked the largest Winter Paralympics ever with 611 Para athletes from 55 countries, surpassing the previous record of 564 athletes from 48 countries in 2018.
A record number of women Para athletes are competing in the fourth consecutive Paralympic Winter Games, the IPC said. There were 160 women competing in Milano Cortina, 24 more than the previous record at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
A total of 27 countries won medals in 79 medal events across six sports, the most number of countries to have won at least one medal at a Paralympic Winter Games since the 1994 Lillehammer Games.
The IPC said Milano Cortina is the most widely broadcast Paralympic Winter Games in history with 20 media rights holders broadcasting the Games in a record 126 countries.
Curling stones
Even before the Milano Cortina Games began, curling was rocked by another scandal when two curling stones were lost at the Curling Olympic Stadium that was hosting Sunday’s closing ceremony.
This incident happened a few weeks after the game made headlines during the Olympics as the Canadian team was accused of cheating.
Warm weather
Warm weather took hold in Milano Cortina, high temperatures forced the organizers to change the program of some events. Athletes were seen competing in shorts, t-shirts and tank tops.
Heavy snow arrived only on Sunday, and caused delays in some races.
Next Games
The French Alps will host the 2030 Winter Paralympic Games.
IPC President Andrew Parsons said there are discussions to add other sports to the Games, including skating and sliding. He said there are opportunities to add other disabled groups such as mentally challenged athletes.
