The 2026 Winter Paralympics opened in Italy with a record field of athletes and an ambitious safety agenda, but the return of Russia and Belarus under their own flags ensured the focus was as much on geopolitics as on sport.
The Games officially began at Verona’s ancient Roman arena, where athletes from 56 nations marched in amid a mix of celebration and visible protest.
Several European countries, including Ukraine and a bloc of its allies, boycotted the ceremony entirely over the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to readmit Russian and Belarusian teams under full national colours.
Inside the stadium, Russian and Belarusian delegations drew scattered boos and stony silence from parts of the crowd, even as IPC president Andrew Parsons appealed for “peace, inclusion and solidarity” in his opening remarks.
The conflict in the Middle East added another flashpoint.
Iran will not appear at these Games after its sole qualifier, para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, withdrew when organizers and officials concluded that the security risks of travelling out of the region were too high.
The IPC said it had explored alternative routes to Italy but ultimately decided the athlete’s safety could not be guaranteed.
On the field of play, Milano-Cortina 2026 is set to be the biggest Winter Paralympics yet, with more than 600 athletes competing in 79 medal events across six sports, including the Paralympic debut of wheelchair curling mixed doubles.
Five nations are making their first Winter Paralympic appearance, while powerhouses such as China, the United States and Canada arrive with large, medal-contending squads.
Athlete welfare is also in the spotlight.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport has sent a delegation, led by chief executive and 1984 Olympic champion Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, to run education sessions, strengthen reporting channels and host an international safeguarding symposium during the Games.
For athletes settling into the mountain venues around Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, competition is already underway in some events, even as the broader question lingers over whether global sport can insulate the Paralympic ideal from the conflicts and controversies surrounding it.
