International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons officially closed the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics with China leading the standings.
The closing ceremony, themed "Italian Souvenir," was held at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, a historic venue that hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and returned to the Olympic and Paralympic stage in 2026, after seven decades.
The sporting event officially opened and featured 79 events in six sports divided into three competition clusters.
Alpine skiing, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling events were held in Cortina. Biathlon and cross-country skiing events were held in Val di Fiemme, while ice hockey events were held in Milan.
With more than 600 athletes from 55 contingents, the Winter Paralympics will mark the 50th anniversary of the inaugural edition in 1976.
It was the first time the event had been held in Italy since Turin 2006. El Salvador, Haiti, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Portugal all made their Winter Paralympic debuts at Milan-Cortina.
"This Winter Paralympics has been a record-breaking success. It was the biggest and most beautiful Winter Paralympics ever, with more athletes, more countries, more women, and more global broadcast and digital coverage than ever before," Parsons said in his closing speech.
"Every race and every match tells a story, a story of resilience and a story of opportunity. A story that will continue to inspire long after these Paralympics are over. Change begins with sport, and the true power of these Paralympics extends far beyond competition," he added.
