2026 Winter Paralympics open amid boycotts, Iran withdrawal

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics open Friday at the Verona Arena with a record 616 athletes from 56 nations competing across 79 medal events.sfchronicle
Multiple nations including Ukraine, Germany, and the UK are boycotting the ceremony over the IPC’s decision to let Russian and Belarusian athletes compete under their flags.nytimes
Iran withdrew entirely after its sole athlete could not travel safely to Italy amid the Middle East conflict, according to the IPC.independent

2026 Winter Paralympics Opens in Milan and Cortina Amid Boycotts and Geopolitical Tensions

The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games officially open Friday evening with a ceremony at the historic Verona Arena, ushering in a record-setting edition of the event even as boycotts over Russia’s return and the fallout from conflict in the Middle East cast a shadow over the proceedings.

Record-Breaking Games

A record 616 athletes from 56 nations will compete across 79 medal events in six sports — para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para ice hockey, para snowboard, and wheelchair curling — surpassing the previous high of 564 athletes from 49 nations at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, according to the International Paralympic Committee. The Games include one new event: wheelchair curling mixed doubles, making its Paralympic debut. Five nations — El Salvador, Haiti, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Portugal — are appearing at the Winter Paralympics for the first time.espn

China brought the largest delegation with 70 athletes, followed by the United States with 68 and Canada with 46. Competition in some events, including wheelchair curling, began ahead of the ceremony on Thursday. The Games run through March 15.sfchronicle

Boycotts and Iran’s Withdrawal

The opening ceremony is being boycotted by multiple nations — including Ukraine, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the Netherlands — in protest against the IPC’s September 2025 decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags. The UK government also confirmed it would not send officials to the opening or closing ceremonies in solidarity with Ukraine.reuters

Iran will not compete at all after its sole athlete, para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, was unable to travel safely to Italy amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. IPC President Andrew Parsons called the situation “really disappointing,” adding that organizers had worked “tirelessly” to find alternative routes but concluded “the risk to human life is too high”.independent

SafeSport and the Road Ahead

The U.S. Center for SafeSport sent a delegation to Italy led by CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist, to support athlete safety and host an international symposium on safeguarding during the Games. The Paralympics follow the Winter Olympics, which concluded in late February at the same Italian venues. Sled hockey player Josh Pauls and para alpine skier Laurie Stephens will carry the flag for the 72-member U.S. team.teamusa