Milano Cortina 2026: Japan’s Momoka Muraoka Takes Silver in Women’s Giant Slalom Sitting at Paralympics, Becomes Most Decorated Japanese Winter Para Athlete

By Keito Ehara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:53 JST, March 13, 2026

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Alpine skier Momoka Muraoka, 29, took silver in the women’s giant slalom sitting race at the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics on Thursday.

While she did not win her third consecutive gold in the event, Muraoka now has 11 medals overall, the most of any Japanese winter para athlete.

It was thought that Muraoka would not be able to compete in the Paralympics due to injuries, but she fought through without showing any pain.

Muraoka sent a text that said, “I’m OK,” to her former homeroom teacher Shigefumi Inaba, 49, at Shochi Fukaya Senior High School in Saitama Prefecture, earlier this year. She sent the text after he messaged her, as he was worried about her injuries.

The two have kept in touch since she graduated high school, and Muraoka often visited her homeroom teacher of three years at the school.

Muraoka did not tell Inaba about her injuries, but he heard about it on the news.

It pained Inaba to think of what Muraoka was going through and how she probably did not tell him about her injuries because she did not want to worry him.

During high school, Muraoka’s parents would drive her as far as Nagano Prefecture after school to practice when competitions neared and would return home late at night. Despite practices, she never took a day off from school due to exhaustion and did her homework without fail. Inaba heard that she would do her homework and eat in the car.

“Even when things were difficult, she was the kind of girl who never liked to show how much she was struggling to those around her,” Inaba said.

Maki Shimabukuro, 29, Muraoka’s friend from Waseda University and a national student weightlifting champion, would train together during their university days. Even after graduating, they still met regularly and ate together.

In April last year, after dislocating her right elbow during practice, Muraoka contacted Shimabukuro.

“It was different from what I imagined,” Muraoka said, when speaking about her experience in an air ambulance.

Shimabukuro felt she had worried unnecessarily.

Muraoka’s right elbow is still at risk of becoming dislocated again, and her left collarbone, which was broken in November, has yet to fully heal.

Muraoka raced down the hill on Thursday in such a condition. She gradually increased her pace, clearing the gates one after another.

“She must have been so anxious during the race,” Shimabukuro said. “Momoka is amazing.”