The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are in the rearview mirror, but the competition isn’t quite over just yet.
The 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympic Winter Games are scheduled to kick off later this week, featuring 79 medal events in six sports: para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para ice hockey, para snowboard and wheelchair curling.
There will also be a new medal event this year as wheelchair curling mixed doubles makes its debut.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Paralympic Games, which took place in Rome in 1960. The first Paralympic Winter Games were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. This year will be the second time the Paralympics have been held in Italy, following the 2006 Games in Torino.
Paralympians Aaron Pike (left), Kendall Gretsch (center) and Oksana Masters (right) are among the veterans of the American squad who will compete in Milan Cortina. Getty Images
The United States will send a delegation of 40 men and 20 women (not including guides) to compete in the Games. This year’s roster includes Oksana Masters, a para Nordic skier and the most decorated American Paralympian in history, having won 19 medals. She’s one of two American Paralympians who will suit up in Italy for their seventh Paralympic Games.
Para Nordic skier Aaron Pike is the other Team USA athlete who has appeared in seven Paralympics, while para alpine skier Laurie Stephens, who has won five Paralympic medals, is the only athlete from Team USA to have competed in five.
Team USA’s roster also has three four-time Paralympians, eight athletes who have competed in three Paralympics, 12 who have appeared in two, 18 who have competed in one and 24 making their Paralympic debut.
How To Watch the Milan Cortina Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
The 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympic Winter Games officially begin with the opening ceremony. The event will air live March 6 at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network and stream on Peacock. The opening ceremony will occur at the Verona Arena, a Roman amphitheatre.
After the ceremony, the Games will feature nine days of competition, from March 7 through March 15. The closing ceremony is also scheduled for March 15.
There will also be more than 270 hours of total programming available to watch on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, CNBC and NBC Sports Digital platforms.
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