Everything you need to know about Paralympic classification ahead Milano Cortina 2026

The Paralympic Winter Games is a celebration of athletes with different impairments coming together, each with a vastly different journey to the start line but all racing on equal terms.

Classification is the system that allows this to happen, ensuring the utmost fairness across all competitions. It is designed to level the playing field as much as possible, meaning that success is a direct result of training, skill, and strategy as opposed to the nature or severity of impairment.

Each athlete goes through an extensive process, from interviews with a Classification Panel to physical and, in some cases, technical assessments.

It will then be down to the classifiers – a person authorized and certified by FIS – to determine whether an athlete has an eligible impairment to compete and whether they meet the Minimum Impairment Criteria (MIC) to do so. 

In the approach to Milano Cortina 2026, here is a comprehensive one-stop guide to classification, and the many sport classes you will see on the snow.

Classification at Milano Cortina 2026

Classification assessment begins with eligible impairments caused by an underlying health condition. These are as follows: Impaired Muscle Power, Leg Length Difference, Ataxia, Athetosis, and Vision Impairment.

As part of the system, a list has been developed to determine what is not considered an eligible impairment. This ranges from pain, hearing loss, to joint stability and intellectual impairments.

If FIS concludes that an athlete is eligible, they are then invited to an evaluation session with a classification panel. This entails questions about medical diagnosis and training history; followed by a physical, and technical where applicable, assessment. Within that, the panel may look at a range of things from muscle power to range of movement and co-ordination.

What follows is a sport-specific evaluation, weighing the eligible impairment against the Minimum Impairment Criteria (MIC) of each discipline. It is defined by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as ‘the minimum level of impairment resulting from an eligible impairment that is required in order for an athlete to be permitted to participate in Para sport’.

Participants are assessed against the criteria in relation to their chosen sport, with MIC varying not only for the respective disciplines, but for the eligible impairments as well, given the differing ways an impairment can present itself both on an athlete and in the way in which they practice the sport. 

The process shifts from can an athlete compete to how they can do it, which is where sport classes come in.

For a more detailed breakdown of the process of classification, click here.

Para Alpine Skiing at Milano Cortina 2026: Sport Classes

Alpine skiers compete in one of three categories: standing, sitting, and vision impaired. Within each category, all athletes race together regardless of their specific sport class. To ensure fair competition between athletes with different types of levels of impairment, results are determined using factored timing.

Here is a brief breakdown of the sport classes within this discipline:

Standing – Lower Limb

• LW1: Severe impairments in both legs which may impact strength, balance

• LW2: Significant impairment in one leg which may impact gait, balance

• LW3: Impairment in both legs, less severe than LW1

• LW4: Impairment in one leg which may impact strength, stability

Standing – Upper Limb

• LW5/7: Impairments in both arms, compete without ski poles and rely on core strength and lower body control – split into three categories:
  ⟶ LW5/7-1: Impairment in both arms, bilaterial or above elbow
  ⟶ LW5/7-2: Impairment in both arms, one through or above elbow amputation and one below
  ⟶ LW5/7-3: Impairment in both arms, bilateral below elbow amputation

• LW6/8: Impairment in one arm, divided into two subcategories:
  ⟶ LW6/8-1 Impairment in one arm, unilateral through or above elbow amputation
  ⟶ LW6/8-2: Impairment in one arm, unilateral below elbow amputation

Standing – Combined upper and lower limb

• LW9: Impairments that affect arm(s) or leg(s) either on the same or opposite sides; divided into two subcategories:
  ⟶ LW9-1: Impairment in one arm and one leg where the leg impairment significantly affects skiing performance
  ⟶ LW9-2: Impairment in one arm and one leg, where the leg impairment is less severe

Sitting

LW10-12: Impairment affecting legs/trunk, often caused by conditions such as spinal cord injury or spina bifida.

• LW10: Severe trunk impairment; little to not sitting balance due to minimal or absent trunk muscle function
  ⟶ LW10-1: Cannot control their upper or lower abdominal muscles or spinal extensors
  ⟶ LW10-2:  Minimal control of upper abdominal muscles but no function in the lower abdominals

• LW11: Partial trunk control; fair sitting balance but no hip function

• LW12: Good trunk control but reduced hip and leg function
  ⟶ LW12-1: Good trunk control but reduced hip strength
  ⟶ LW12-2: Full trunk control but moderate impairment in lower limbs

Vision Impaired

AS1-4: Athlete vision is constricted to a diameter of less than 70 degrees and/or have static visual acuity of equal LogMAR 0.6 or worse; a guide will ski in front of the athlete, verbally giving directions down the course.

• AS1: Near-total or total visual impairment and race wearing blacked out goggles

• AS2: Static acuity from LogMAR 1.8 to 3.5; can detected a moving object at a maximum distance of one metre

• AS3: Static acuity ranges from LogMAR 1.0 to 1.7; can detect a tennis-ball sized object at a maximum distance of three metres

• AS4: Static acuity ranges from LogMAR 0.6 to 0.9; can detect a squash-ball sized object at a maximum distance of six metres

*LogMAR – Logarithm of the Minimal Angle of Resolution – is a system used to measure visual acuity, which in turn refers to the clarity of one’s vision. A higher LogMAR score indicates a higher degree of impairment.

Para Cross-Country Skiing at Milano Cortina 2026: Sport Classes

Much like Alpine, Cross-Country skiers compete in one of three categories: standing, sitting, and vision impaired. Within each category, all athletes race together regardless of their specific sport class with results determined using factored timing.

Here is a brief breakdown of the sport classes within this discipline:

Standing – Lower Limb

• LW2: Impairment affecting one entire leg; at least equivalent to limb loss through or above knee

• LW3: Impairment impacting both legs; at least equivalent to limb loss through the forefoot

• LW4: Impairment impacting one lower leg; at least equivalent to limb loss through or above ankle joint

Standing – Upper Limb

• LW5/7: Impairment in both arms; meets LW8 criteria for each arm preventing the use of ski poles

• LW6: Impairment in one arm; at least equivalent to arm amputation or limb deficiency above the elbow, in cases other than limb loss the impaired is fixed to the body and not used during races

• LW8: Impairment affecting one arm; at least equivalent to an amputation through one hand resulting in finger loss and ability to control ski pole

Standing – Combined upper and lower limb

• LW9: Impairment that affects at least one arm and one leg; affected arm must be equivalent to criteria for LW8 and affected leg must be equivalent to criteria for LW4

Sitting

• LW10: Impairment that impacts entire trunk and legs; high level of paraplegia in which trunk muscles/pelvis are non-functional
  ⟶ LW10.5: Impairment that impacts lower trunk and legs; mid-level of paraplegia in which trunk muscles attached to pelvis are non-functional

• LW11: Impairment that significantly impacts their levels; lower level of paraplegia in which trunk muscles that attach to pelvis are functionally intact, however they have no functional leg power
  ⟶ LW11.5: Impairment that impacts legs; lower level of incomplete paraplegia in which trunk muscles that attach to the pelvis are intact and athlete has functioning hip flexion in at least one leg

• LW12: Impairment that affects legs; low level of incomplete paraplegia in which trunk muscles are intact, athletes have function hip extension in at least one leg and can control arms, trunk, pelvis, while having hip flexion and extension in at least one leg

*Athletes who meet the LW2-LW4 criteria are eligible to compete in the standing or sitting categories

Vision Impaired

NS1-3: Vision is constricted to a diameter of less than 60 degrees and/or static visual acuity equal to LogMAR 0.9 or worse; a guide will ski in front of the athlete verbally giving directions down the course.

• NS1: Near-total or total visual impairment; must ski wearing opaque shades or glasses

• NS2: Static visual acuity ranges from LogMAR 2.3 to 3.5; can detect a moving object at a maximum distance of one metre, can opt to use a guide

• NS3: Static visual acuity ranges from LogMAR 0.9 to 2.2; can detect a bocce-ball-sized object at a maximum distance of three metres, can opt to use a guide

Para Snowboard at Milano Cortina 2026: Sport Classes

Para Snowboard differs from Alpine and Cross-Country in that, due to the significant variations and different variables that come with eligible impairments for this discipline, athletes race within their sport classes as opposed to all together. That means there is no factored timing to take into consideration, it all comes down to raw time – whoever crosses the finish line first will win gold.

At Milano Cortina, there will be no women’s SB-UL, while those who are classified as SB-LL1 and SB-LL2 will compete together in women’s snowboard cross and women’s banked slalom.

Here is a brief breakdown of the sport classes within this discipline:

• SB-LL1: Athletes have significant impairments in one or both legs, which may affect strength, balance, or coordination. This can include limited joint mobility or reduced muscle power, resulting in challenges with controlling the snowboard, maintaining stability, and adapting to terrain changes. Some athletes may use assistive devices like prostheses or orthoses during races to support movement and balance

• SB-LL2: Athletes have less severe impairments in one or both legs, which may involve reduced muscle strength, reduced muscle strength, minor joint restrictions, leg length differences, or mild coordination changes. While it may impact balance and control, it does so less than SB-LL1.  Athletes may use a protheses or an orthosis

• SB-UL: Athletes have impairments in one or both arms, which may include reduced muscle strength, limited joint movement, or coordination difficulties. These impairments affect upper-body control and balance

For a complete overview of the sport classes in each three disciplines, click here.

In 2025, FIS dedicated a six-part series to the process of classification. Below, you can find the link to read each instalment:

• Part one: Research and collaboration to ensure fair competition

• Part two: The process of classification

• Part three: Impairment types, MIC, and the sport classes

• Part four: An athlete’s perspective on the pursuit of fairness

• Part five: Navigating the process, protests, and challenges

• Part six: Highlighting the classifiers – skills, passion & challenges