Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics Break Records with 611 Athletes from 55 Countries

The 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina delivered a record-breaking celebration of Paralympic sport, with 611 athletes from 55 National Paralympic Committees competing across 79 medal events in six sports. The Games surpassed the previous record of 564 athletes from 48 countries set at PyeongChang 2018.

For the fourth successive Paralympic Winter Games, a record number of women competed, with 160 female athletes taking to the slopes and tracks — an 18% increase over the previous record of 136 set at Beijing 2022. The growing participation of women in winter Paralympic sport reflects decades of advocacy and investment in inclusive athletics.

“The Games surpassed the previous record of 564 athletes from 48 countries set at PyeongChang 2018.”

Among the standout performers, American legend Oksana Masters claimed a staggering 20th Winter Paralympic medal, adding three golds and a bronze in cross-country skiing and biathlon. Masters, who was born in Ukraine with radiation-related birth defects from Chernobyl and adopted by an American single mother, has become one of the most decorated Paralympic athletes in history.

Italian snowboarder Emanuel Perathoner made history by becoming one of the few athletes to compete at both the Olympics and Paralympics, winning gold in both Snowboard Cross and Banked Slalom at his Paralympic debut in his home region.

American Mike Schultz's bronze in the SB-LL1 Banked Slalom was a testament to resilience. After nearly retiring four years ago following a knee amputation, Schultz built his own prosthetic leg and returned to competition. Many other Paralympic athletes now compete using prosthetics he designed.

The US Para Ice Hockey team continued their dominance, winning their fifth consecutive Paralympic title. The Games demonstrated that Paralympic winter sport continues to grow in both quality and global reach.