Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics open with a celebration of resilience and inclusion

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics officially opened on Friday with a unique ceremony emphasizing human resilience, inclusion, and solidarity at an ancient Roman arena in Italy.

The two-hour show in Verona, about 170 kilometers east of Milan, marked the start of the largest Winter Paralympic Games in history. A total of 611 Para athletes from 55 National Paralympic Committees will compete in 79 events across six sports. The Chinese delegation includes 167 members, with 70 athletes, a record number for an overseas Winter Paralympics.

"Paralympians are ready to redefine possibility, push the boundaries of human ability and show what humans can achieve when respected and provided with chances to succeed," said International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons at the opening ceremony. "In the coming days, a record number of athletes and nations will showcase the very best of Paralympic winter sport. Through their exceptional sporting performances, Paralympians will remind the world that disability is not itself a limitation, but an incredible dimension of human diversity."

Giovanni Malago, president of the Milano-Cortina 2026 organizing committee, highlighted the deep divisions in a world affected by wars, grief, and suffering. "For this very reason, the message of peace, inclusion, and solidarity at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movement is more meaningful and more important than ever," he said.

This edition of the Paralympics is the first to feature three competition clusters in Milan, Cortina, and Val di Fiemme. Most delegations paraded with only a few athletes on site, while others greeted the audience and teammates via video.

Four members of the Chinese delegation, in white-and-red uniforms, paraded into the arena. More Chinese athletes appeared on the big screen waving to the crowd, including the official designated flagbearers — Para alpine skier Liu Sitong and Para snowboarder Ji Lijia.

The two-hour show featured a blend of video design, music, choreography, and visual arts. Directors of the ceremony noted that, in contrast to the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics at the same venue on Feb 22, which celebrated Italian identity and cultural roots, the Paralympic occasion embodied a more contemporary and forward-looking perspective.

Two cauldrons were lit simultaneously for the Games: one by Italian wheelchair athlete Francesca Porcellato in Cortina, and the other by Italian Para alpine skier Gianmaria Dal Maistro in Milan.