Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics end with closing ceremony

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games closed Sunday with an “Italian Souvenir”-themed ceremony at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.olympics
China topped the medal table with 44 medals, followed by the United States with 24; Brazil and Latvia won their first-ever Winter Paralympic medals.wikipedia
IPC President Andrew Parsons handed the Paralympic flag to French Alps 2030 organizers, calling the Games proof that “sport can unite us.”thesportsexaminer

2026 Winter Paralympics Conclude in Milan Cortina With Celebratory Closing Ceremony

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games came to a close on Sunday, March 15, with a closing ceremony at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium themed “Italian Souvenir,” marking the end of 10 days of competition that International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons called a milestone for the Paralympic Movement.olympics

In a symbolic handover, Parsons presented the Paralympic flag to Renaud Muselier and Fabrice Pannekoucke, presidents of the French regions that will host the 2030 Winter Paralympics in the French Alps. The Paralympic flames were then extinguished as Italian band Planet Funk kicked off a dance party to close out the evening.thesportsexaminer

Record-Breaking Games

The Games featured 611 athletes from 55 delegations competing across 79 medal events in six sports, a dramatic expansion from the 198 athletes and 16 nations that competed at the first Paralympic Winter Games in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, 50 years ago. Brazil and Latvia each won their first-ever Winter Paralympic medals, with Brazilian Cristian Ribera’s silver becoming the first Winter Paralympic medal won by a tropical or South American nation.bbc

China dominated the medal table with 44 medals, including 15 gold, 13 silver, and 16 bronze. The United States finished second with 24 medals — 13 gold, five silver, and six bronze — led by standout performances from Oksana Masters, who won four gold medals in Para cross-country skiing and biathlon, and Jake Adicoff, who claimed four golds in vision-impaired cross-country events. Host nation Italy shattered its previous best of 13 medals from Lillehammer 1994, earning 16 medals with seven gold.wikipedia

Farewells and Flags

Team USA flagbearers Kendall Gretsch and Andrew Kurka, selected by a vote of their fellow Paralympians, led the American delegation into the ceremony. Austrian siblings Veronika and Johannes Aigner combined for nine medals between them — a haul that would have ranked 12th on the overall medal table by itself.teamusa

Parsons, for whom Milano Cortina marked his final Winter Paralympics before his term ends, delivered closing remarks in both English and Italian. “When the world watched a skier launch down a mountain, or a Para ice hockey team battle on the ice, something changed. Old stereotypes faded. New possibilities appeared,” he said. “As the Paralympic flame is extinguished, the spirit it represents does not fade. It travels home with every athlete, every spectator, and every viewer.”thesportsexaminer