Milano Cortina 2026: Milano-Cortina Paralympics Begin; Japan Sends Record Delegation of 44 Athletes Covering All 6 Sports

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:09 JST, March 7, 2026

VERONA, Italy — The Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics kicked off Friday, marking the second time Italy has staged the event since the 2006 Torino Games.

The 14th edition of the quadrennial festival for athletes with disabilities will take place across three venue clusters, including Milan, through March 15.

The decentralized hosting of the Games follows the model set by the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

The opening ceremony began Friday at 8 p.m. (4 a.m. Saturday Japan time) at the Verona Arena, an ancient Roman amphitheater registered as a World Heritage site.

This year’s Games mark 50 years since the inaugural Winter Paralympics in 1976. The Milano-Cortina Games are set to see a record turnout, with more than 600 athletes from 55 countries and regions competing for medals in 79 events across six sports.

A record 44 Japanese athletes are set to compete in all six sports, the nation’s largest-ever contingent for a Winter Paralympics held abroad. The number surpasses all previous appearances, with the exception of the 1998 Nagano Games held in Japan.

Japan won seven medals, including four golds, at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics.

Expectations are high for the team to continue the momentum from the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, which saw a record-breaking medal haul for Japan.

With competitions scheduled to begin the following morning at various venue clusters, attendance at the opening ceremony in Verona was limited to two athletes and two officials from each delegation, with the exception of the host nation, Italy.

However, a number of countries opted not to send representatives to avoid long-distance travel between venues.

Representing Japan at the ceremony were ice hockey players Shunsuke Nakamura and Akari Fukunishi. Carrying both the Italian and Japanese flags, the two athletes marched into the arena with broad smiles.

Other Japanese athletes participated via pre-recorded videos from their respective venue clusters. The footage, showing them cheering and waving, was screened in Verona during the parade of nations.

Ukraine boycotts opening ceremony

Ukraine and six other nations staged a collective boycott of the opening ceremony. The move came in response to the inclusion of athletes from Russia and its ally, Belarus, as official national representatives, unlike the February Olympics, in which athletes from those countries were required to compete as neutral individuals.

The Games opened under extraordinary circumstances. It was announced before the ceremony that Iranian athletes would not participate due to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East following attacks on Iran by U.S. and Israeli forces.

In his speech, IPC President Andrew Parsons touched upon the invasion of Ukraine, stating: “Four years ago, I said I was horrified at what was happening in the world. Unfortunately, the situation has not improved.”

“Sport offers the world another way forward, another perspective. Here at Milano-Cortina 2026, these Paralympic Games offer something truly different,” he said.

The opening event reached its climax as Paralympic cauldrons in both Cortina d’Ampezzo and Milan were lit simultaneously, signaling the official start of the Games.