DAILY COUNTDOWN 1 – Action begins with Alpine as athletes chase Paralympic glory

After years of preparation, comebacks and breakthroughs, World Cup events and qualifiers, the Winter Paralympics Milano Cortina 2026 is here. Saturday (7 March) marks the beginning of action in the Italian mountains, starting with Para Alpine and the Downhill event.

Held at the iconic Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, hopefuls will come together in a bid to claim the first pieces of Paralympic hardware on offer. At the heart of Cortina d’Ampezzo, this renowned venue boasts compelling courses that will see these competitors at their very best.

Competition will follow Friday’s (6 March) Opening Ceremony, as well as days of training as athletes competing in FIS disciplines get to grips with the routes and conditions of the upcoming events. Read on for the full breakdown of day one, where six sets of medals will be awarded on the snow.

Medal Events Day 1 – Saturday 7 March

All the ski and snowboard action will come from the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on day one, as Alpine skiers chase the first Paralympic medals up for grabs. Here is Saturday’s medal schedule:

• 09:30 CET: Women’s Downhill – vision impaired – results

• Followed by: Women’s Downhill – Standing – results

• Followed by: Women’s Downhill – Sitting – results

   

• 10:50 CET: Men’s Downhill – vision impaired – results

• Followed by: Men’s Downhill – Standing – results  

• Followed by: Men’s Downhill – sitting – results

Outside of the medals, there will also be action from the Cortina Para Snowboard Park where athletes will compete in Snowboard Cross qualifiers.

Across the Games, a total of 58 Paralympic medal events will take place in ski and snowboard disciplines. 30 of those are in Alpine, 20 of which come in Cross-Country, and the remaining eight unfold in Snowboard.

• Click here for the full Winter Paralympic schedule

Athletes & Storylines to Watch

Alpine Skiing – Women’s Downhill

In women’s VI, no skier performed better than Veronika Aigner (AUT) this season, finishing top of the Overall standings as well as the Downhill standings. Aside from a DNF in Tignes, she topped the podium in all but one races where she finished second. Aigner’s biggest challenge at Milano Cortina comes with the change of guide after her usual companion, her sister Elisabeth, suffered an injury that ruled her out. In Downhill, she will take to the slopes with Lilly Sammer as she competes in this event on this stage for the very first time. Arguably Aigner’s biggest threat to gold is Alexandra Rexova (SVK), guided by Sophia Polak, whose best performances have been in this event over the 2025/26 season. The 20-year-old finished just 10 points behind Aigner in the Downhill standings.

In women’s Standing, Aurélie Richard (FRA) is the one to watch after her leading performances across this event all season. She comfortably topped the Downhill standings, finishing first in all but two races. Of the two she finished second, Richard was pipped to the top spot by Ebba Årsjö (SWE), who won bronze in this race at Beijing 2022. Mollie Jepsen (CAN) is also one to watch, entering the event as the defending Paralympic champion and placing second in the Downhill standings this season.

In women’s Sitting, there are plenty of names in the hat when it comes to gold in the Downhill. Two standouts include Anna-Lena Forster (GER), a silver medalist in Beijing, and rising star Audrey Pascual Seco (ESP), who finished top of these standings in this season’s World Cup. China had a strong delegation of athletes across all Downhill categories four years ago, including this one with Liu Sitong (CHN) who won bronze. After finishing fourth in the standings this year, she is another athlete who could challenge for the top spot in Italy.

Alpine Skiing – Men’s Downhill

In men’s VI, Johannes Aigner (AUT) is looking to successfully defend the Downhill title that he claimed in Beijing four years ago. Guided by Nico Haberl, and brother of the aforementioned Veronika, the 20-year-old has had a flawless 2025/26 campaign in the Para Alpine World Cup. He topped the standings in each event, including this one by double the points of his closest competitor. Speaking of, Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) is looking to carry his fine form into a home Paralympics. Guided by Andrea Ravelli, the 27-year-old will be looking to capitalize on local support to help add to his tally of eight medals on this stage to date.

In men’s Standing, there are a host of competitors vying for the top spot. Defending champion Arthur Bauchet (FRA) is among them, as is Alexis Guimond (CAN), the pair finishing third and second in the Downhill standings this term. Above them in the rankings, however, is Robin Cuche (SUI) who has had a standout season. The 27-year-old has improved hugely from his third Paralympic outing in Beijing, where he finished 11th in this event. Cuche is yet to finish above sixth in any event on this stage, but that could soon change if his form this season is anything to go by.

In men’s Sitting, long-time rivals Jesper Pedersen (NOR) and Jeroen Kampschreur (NED) have been battling it out over the course of the season with the Norwegian edging standings to finish just ahead of his Dutch competitor. The former earned silver in this event four years ago, while the latter is still in search of a maiden Paralympic medal in Downhill having competed in 2018 and 2022. The rest of the field is relatively open, with Beijing bronze medalist Taiki Morii (JPN) part of a strong Japanese delegation along with compatriot Suzuki Takeshi (JPN).

Through My Eyes | A Special Letter

I Love Snow is a campaign that shines a light beyond results and podiums, focusing on the personal journeys that lead athletes to the Paralympic stage. In Through My Eyes | A Special Letter, selected competitors share their reflections on preparation, pressure and what it truly means to compete at these Games.

Today’s feature comes from Anna-Lena Forster (GER), who has never been held back by her disability, having the courage to try anything and everything that has resulted in her becoming a four-time Winter Paralympian.

I Love Snow

“I LOVE Snow – Passion Beyond Limits” brings fans closer to the athletes and stories that power snow sports across every FIS discipline – Olympic and Paralympic alike. The promise: authentic and emotional storytelling that turns moments into lasting fandom beyond Milano Cortina 2026.