2026 Paralympic Winter Games Preview: Events & Athletes to Watch

It’s getting closer! We’re almost at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, and we’re so excited to see Aussie Para athletes in action at Milano Cortina.

 While some may think Australia is all about summer sports (like swimming) we’re no slouches in the winter arenas either!

Here are the events in which to cheer our Australian Para athletes on:

Para Alpine Skiing

If we’re going by medals, Australians are aces at Para alpine skiing! Since the first Paralympic Winter Games in 1976, we’ve won:

• 11 gold medals
• 6 silver medals
• 15 bronze medals

 

Para alpine skiing has five traditional events on the Paralympic program: downhill, super-G, slalom, giant slalom, and super combined. The sport uses the International Ski Federation rules with only a few modifications, and it’s open to Para athletes with physical or vision impairments.

Para Snowboarding

Next up is Para snowboard, which is open to athletes with physical impairment. The two disciplines of banked slalom and snowboard cross are exciting to watch – combining speed and agility for often-breathtaking runs, with athletes using equipment adapted to their needs. Snowboarding was added to the Paralympic program in 2014.

Para Cross-Country Skiing

Para cross-country skiing is a foundation Paralympic winter sport, appearing for the first time at the 1976 Winter Games in Sweden. In cross-country skiing, athletes traverse snow-covered terrain using only skis, with no assistance. What started as a form of transportation has become a very popular and thrilling winter sport!

Para Biathlon

Para biathlon is a combination of target shooting and cross-country skiing, open to athletes with a physical or vision impairment. Competitors race cross country and stop intermittently to shoot at a target.

You may also hear these last two referred to as the Para Nordic sports, a catch-all term for both cross-country skiing and biathlon. In both disciplines of the Para Nordic sports, athletes with physical impairment will compete either standing or using a sit-ski (depending on their classification) and athletes with a vision impairment will compete with the help of a sighted guide.

5 Para Athletes to watch at Milano Cortina

Who should you watch this year out of the Aussie crew? Well… all of them! Everyone who has a place on the Australian Paralympic Team is top of their field, has worked incredibly hard to reach the Games and deserves to have the crowd back home cheering them on.

Among our athletes to watch are:

1.     Lauren Parker: Para Cross-Country Skiing

You may recognise Lauren from the recent Paris Paralympic Games (2024) or even Tokyo 2020, where she competed as a triathlete and cyclist. With four Paralympic medals (two gold, two silver) under her belt, including gold in two separate sports at the Paris Games, Lauren is at the Winter Paralympics competing in Para cross-country skiing.

2.     Michael Milton: Para Alpine Skiing

Michael Milton is an icon in the sport, having first competed at the Paralympic Games in 1988 and initially retiring in 2006. With 11 medals (six of them gold), he’s Australia’s most decorated Winter Paralympian and the first ever Australian to win gold at the Winter Games – both Paralympic and Olympic. He’s now making an incredible bid to return to the top of world Para alpine skiing.

3.     Amanda Reid: Para Snowboarding

Multi-talented Amanda Reid is a gold medallist from the Paris and Tokyo Games and a silver medallist from Rio, all in Para cycling. She’s also been competing in snowboarding since the 2022/23 season to great success and is set for her Winter Paralympic debut. 

4.     Ben Tudhope: Para Snowboarding

Another record-holder, Ben Tudhope was Australia’s youngest ever Winter Paralympian when he debuted at just 14 years old – and he’s been proving his chops as a Para snowboard legend ever since. A six-time World Championship medallist and previous Paralympic Games medallist (Beijing, 2022), you’ll want to keep an eye on his events!

5.     Taryn Dickens: Para Biathlon and Para Cross-Country Skiing

A life-long athlete, Taryn Dickens is no stranger to trekking a unique path to success. After receiving her international classification (B3) in late 2023, she and her guide Lynn Cullen have been working hard to become Australia’s first representatives in cross country and biathlon since 2006.

How you can watch at home

Milano Cortina 2026 marks the 50^th anniversary of the first Paralympic Games – a great marker of how far Winter Para sport has come! You can catch the live coverage back home on 9Network platforms, including Stan Sport and other digital options.

We have 14 Paralympians competing across 4 of the 6 Winter Para sports, alongside 52 other nations. There’s 79 events over 10 glorious days, and we can’t wait to cheer our athletes on – you can read Australian Paralympian bios and information courtesy of Paralympics Australia, to learn more about our athletes!

Paralympics Australia & NDSP: Championing accessible sport for Australians

NDSP proudly supports Paralympics Australia and their mission to create positive change through the influence of sport. We’re counting down the minutes until the Aussie team is once again able to shine on the world stage.

In the meantime, we will continue to provide updates, resources and helpful guides for your sports journey – including overcoming common challenges in adaptive sports, and how friends, family and support workers can help make sports participation more fun.

Interested in Parasport? You can start your journey with Paralympics Australia’s The Start Line– a dedicated home for info, guidance and opportunities for Para athletes. Whether you’re getting started or continuing your journey, The Start Line can help you get involved and learn about pathways into Para sport.