The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina ended with a spectacular closing ceremony. Find out what records these Games set, who became the main heroes of the competition and what the final medal standings look like

The Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games officially concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony at the Cortina d’Ampezzo Curling Centre. For two weeks, the world watched one of the largest games in history, combining sporting achievements, emotional stories of athletes and political controversy.

These Games were also special because the Paralympic movement celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics. 611 athletes from 55 countries took part in the competitions, which became a new historical record.

Records, heroes and medal standings in this article.

You can learn more about the results and the closing ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games by clicking on the link.

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Closing ceremony: a symbol of strength and dreams

The closing ceremony of the 2026 Paralympics was held under the title “Italian Souvenir”. It combined music, dance and light effects, telling a symbolic story about dreams and perseverance. The central image was the story of a girl, whose role was played by Sofia Tansella, an athlete with spinal muscular atrophy.

During the final speech, the President of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons noted the strength and endurance of the participants:

“You have shown the world that perfection is universal, and determination knows no borders.”

During the ceremony, the Paralympic flag was handed over to the organizers of the next Winter Games, which will be held in the French Alps in 2030.

On March 6, the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games – one of the main sporting events of the year – officially started in Italy. Read here where the 2026 Paralympic Games were held, how many countries participated and what sports are included in the program.

Records of the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan

Milan-Cortina 2026 set several historical records at once:

- 611 athletes – the largest number of participants in the Winter Paralympics;

- 55 participating countries;

- 160 female athletes – a record in the entire history of the Games;

- 27 national teams won medals;

- competitions were held in 79 disciplines in 6 sports.

Five countries made their debuts at the Winter Paralympic Games: El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Portugal.

The Games also became the largest in terms of audience reach – broadcasts took place in 126 countries, and the Paralympic video content gained more than 414 million online views.

China again leads the medal standings

The most successful country of the Games was China, which confirmed its status as the leading Paralympic nation.

The Chinese team won 44 medals (15 gold), ahead of the USA, which took second place.

Italy, the host of the Olympics, was especially distinguished, showing the best result in its history – 16 medals, including 7 gold.

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Heroes of the Paralympics – 2026

One of the main stars of the Games was the American athlete Oksana Masters. The 36-year-old athlete won four gold medals and one bronze medal, bringing her total Paralympic medals to 24. Her story is particularly inspiring: she was born in Ukraine with congenital disabilities and spent her childhood in a boarding school before being adopted by a family from the United States.

Another star was American skier Jake Adikoff, who also won four gold medals.

Austrian athlete Veronica Aigner won four gold medals and one silver medal, while her brother Johannes Aigner added three more gold medals to the family collection.

Political Controversy at the 2026 Games

Despite the sporting achievements, the Games were not without their tense moments.

The return of athletes from Russia under the national flag after years of restrictions sparked protests. The Ukrainian delegation boycotted the opening and closing ceremonies in protest of the decision of the International Paralympic Committee.

In addition, international events affected the Games: due to the security situation, an Iranian athlete who planned to compete in skiing was unable to take part in the competitions.

Earlier, we talked about the main characters, scandals and sensations of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics.

Other bright moments of the 2026 Paralympics

- The US Paralympic hockey team confirmed its status as a leader, winning its fifth consecutive title, defeating Canada in the final.

- Brazilian Cristian Ribera brought his country the first medal in the history of the Winter Paralympics.

- The Paralympic hockey match set a record attendance - more than 11 thousand spectators.

- Warm weather sometimes forced the organizers to postpone the competitions.

Medal table of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games

According to the results of two weeks of competitions, the leader of the medal standings was the Chinese team, which confidently outpaced its closest competitors. The full medal table looks like this:

1st place – China – 15 gold, 13 silver, 16 bronze, total 44 medals

2nd place – United States – 13 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze, total 24 medals

3rd place – Russia – 8 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze, total 12 medals

4th place – Italy – 7 gold, 7 silver, 2 bronze, total 16 medals

5th place – Austria – 7 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze, total 13 medals

6th place – France – 4 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze, total 12 medals

7th place – Ukraine – 3 gold, 8 silver, 8 bronze, total 19 medals

8th place – Canada – 3 gold, 4 silver, 8 bronze, total 15 medals

9th place – Netherlands – 3 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze, total 7 medals

10th place – Sweden – 3 gold, 0 silver, 4 bronze, total 7 medals

11th place – Germany – 2 gold, 6 silver, 9 bronze, total 17 medals

12th place – Norway – 2 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze, total 8 medals

13th place – Republic of Korea – 2 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze, total 7 medals

14th place – Switzerland – 2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze, 6 medals in total

15th place – Spain – 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze, 4 medals in total

A look into the future of the Paralympic Games

The organizers and the International Paralympic Committee are already thinking about developing the program of the Winter Games. Among the possible new disciplines, parabobsleigh and speed skating are being discussed, as well as expanding the participation of athletes with various forms of disabilities.

The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games will go down in history as a record-breaking event in terms of scale and audience, as well as an event that once again demonstrated the power of human endurance and the desire to win.

The Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina once again proved that sport is able to unite people from all over the world, despite political disputes and global challenges. Record participation rates, new heroes and bright stories of athletes made these Games one of the most memorable in the history of the Paralympic movement. The next Winter Paralympics will be held in the French Alps in 2030, where athletes will once again compete for medals and the opportunity to inspire the world with their achievements.

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Let us remind you! On the night of March 16, one of the main events of world cinema took place in Los Angeles - the 2026 Oscars ceremony. This year, the event was remembered for several surprises: a record number of awards for one film, two winners in one category and resonant discussions around individual laureates. Read here about the 2026 Oscar winners and the most striking moments of the ceremony.

Photo - www.bbc.com/sport/

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