The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina may have concluded with the Closing Ceremony on February 22, but the games are far from over as the 2026 Winter Paralympics begin in March. Also hosted by Italy, the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games will feature six sports unique to the adaptive events of each athletic discipline
The Winter Paralympics will be broadcast by NBC and available to stream on Peacock. Here’s how each sport of the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina will unfold.
Para Biathlon
Similar to the traditional biathlon at the Winter Olympics, the para biathlon involves a combination of cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. The para biathlon has events with varying degrees of accessibility and adaptive technology utilized for athletes who have vision impairments and/or lower body injuries. Just like the other skiing disciplines at the Paralympics, the cross-country ski racing involved in the para biathlon utilizes a sit-ski apparatus.
Para Alpine Skiing
Using a sit-ski and other adaptive ski equipment, the sport para alpine skiing is one of extreme speeds and steep snowy mountainsides. Within para alpine skiing, there are five disciplines each with events that will be held during the 2026 Paralympics in Milan-Cortina. Those five disciplines to be on the lookout for are Slalom, Giant Slalom, Downhill, Super-G, and Combined.
Para Cross-Country Skiing
Para cross-country skiing is similar to other para ski sports in that the adaptive ski equipment athletes use to compete are made to be accessible for competitors who have upper body impairments, lower body impairments, or a combination of both upper and lower body impairments. Some athletes use a sit-ski apparatus during designated para cross-country ski events, while other disciplines of the Nordic ski discipline use other regulation Paralympic ski equipment to create a fair playing field for all podium contenders.
Para Ice Hockey
Para ice hockey is an adaptive version of ice hockey that involves athletes navigating the ice using sleds with blades on the bottom. Each competitor also uses two shortened hockey sticks to shoot the puck to teammates and into the net. Like traditional ice hockey, para ice hockey is a full contact sport with plenty of tackles, blocks, and defensive maneuvers made by players that make it an exciting event for viewers to watch!
Para Snowboarding
The athletes who compete in para snowboarding use varying degrees of adaptive snowboard equipment that is very similar in structure to the Paralympic ski equipment that viewers will see used in para alpine skiing, para cross-country skiing, and the para biathlon events. Within para snowboard, the two primary disciplines with events are snowboardcross and banked slalom.
Also similar to other sports at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, competitors in para snowboarding qualify if they have physical impairments, visual impairments, spinal injuries, cerebral palsy, or another type of approved impairment as determined by the International Paralympic Committee.
Wheelchair Curling
Wheelchair curling is similar to its traditional counterpart seen in the Winter Olympics, but all participants must be in stationary wheelchairs while participating in the event. Debuting in the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina will be mixed doubles for wheelchair curling in addition to the four-person team wheelchair curling event that has been a staple in the Paralympic Games since the sport’s introduction in 2006.
These Are the Six Sports To Watch at the 2026 Paralympics