The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics will feature 79 medal events over the course of nine days in Northern Italy, but you may be wondering, what are the different events and how does it all work?

The first thing to know is there are six sports contested at the Winter Paralympics:

• Para Alpine skiing
• Para biathlon
• Para cross-country skiing
• Para snowboarding
• Sled hockey
• Wheelchair curling

In general, the Paralympics are open to athletes with a wide variety of impairments, but to maintain competitive balance, the specific rules vary from sport to sport.

At the heart of everything is a rigorous classification process that all athletes must go through. The classification process determines whether an athlete is eligible to compete in a specific sport and, for many sports, also assigns them a class where they are grouped alongside other athletes with similar impairments.

Sport classes can be used to help level the playing field in one of two primary ways:

• Athletes in different sport classes can compete against each other using a factored time system
• Athletes can compete head-to-head against other athletes in the same sport class

Below is an overview of the various events, categories and classifications for each sport at the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

There are 10 different para Alpine skiing events, and three separate categories will be contested within each event. In total, 30 sets of medals will be awarded.

Events

• Men’s Combined
• Men’s Downhill
• Men’s Giant Slalom
• Men’s Slalom Sitting
• Men’s Super-G Sitting
• Women’s Combined
• Women’s Downhill
• Women’s Giant Slalom
• Women’s Slalom
• Women’s Super-G

Categories

• Standing
• Sitting
• Vision Impaired

How does classification work in para Alpine skiing?

Within each category, there are multiple sports classes:

• Standing (LW 1-9): Athletes are classified based on the type of impairment — leg(s), arm(s) or both — and the severity
• Sitting (LW 10-12): Athletes are classified based on their level of trunk and hip control
• Vision Impaired (AS 1-4): Athletes are classified based on their level of vision, and all athletes compete alongside a sighted guide who gives verbal instructions

Given the wide range of impairments within each category, athletes compete against each other using factored times. Each sport class is assigned its own factor, which is then used to determine the factored time for each athlete in that class. Those factored times determine the overall results for each category.

For para biathlon, there are six different events, and three separate categories will be contested within each event. In total, 18 sets of medals will be awarded.

For para cross-country skiing, there are six individual events and two relay events. Three separate categories will be contested within each individual event, while the relay events will feature athletes from all three categories competing together on a team in one standalone event. In total, 20 sets of medals will be awarded.

Para Biathlon Events

• Men’s 7.5km Sprint
• Men’s Sprint Pursuit
• Men’s 12.5km Individual
• Women’s 7.5km Sprint
• Women’s Sprint Pursuit
• Women’s 12.5km Individual

Para Cross-Country Skiing Events

• Men’s Sprint
• Men’s 10km
• Men’s 20km
• Women’s Sprint
• Women’s 10km
• Women’s 20km
• Open 4x2.5km Relay*
• Mixed 4x2.5km Relay*

*The relay events do not have separate competitions for each category, as athletes from each category are included in the relay.

Categories

• Standing
• Sitting
• Vision Impaired

How does classification work in para biathlon and para cross-country skiing?

Within each category, there are multiple sports classes:

• Standing (LW 2-9): Athletes are classified based on the type of impairment — leg(s), arm(s) or both — and the severity. Athletes who meet the LW 2-4 criteria are eligible to compete in either the standing or sitting category but can only choose one.
• Sitting (LW 10-12): Athletes are classified based on their level of trunk and leg control
• Vision Impaired (NS 1-3): Athletes are classified based on their level of vision, and all athletes compete alongside a sighted guide who gives verbal instructions

Given the wide range of impairments within each category, athletes compete against each other using factored times. Each sport class is assigned its own factor, which is then used to determine the factored time for each athlete in that class. Those factored times determine the overall results for each category.

There are four different para snowboarding events, but — unlike the sports above — competition will be separated by sport class instead of category. The number of sport classes contested within each event varies by gender.

There are three separate sport classes for men: one for upper-limb impairments, and two for lower-limb impairments of varying degrees. Due to smaller field sizes, there is no upper-limb category for women, and all women with lower-limb impairments will compete together in the same class (SB-LL2).

In total, eight sets of medals will be awarded (six for men, two for women).

Events

• Men’s Banked Slalom
• Men’s Snowboard Cross
• Women’s Banked Slalom
• Women’s Snowboard Cross

Classifications

• SB-UL (Upper Limb)*
• SB-LL1 (Lower Limb 1)*
• SB-LL2 (Lower Limb 2)

*There only will be separate UL and LL1 competitions for the men. Women with the LL1 classification are permitted to “compete up” in the LL2 event.

How does classification work in para snowboarding?

Athletes in the UL class have an impairment to one or both arms. An upper-limb impairment will affect an athlete’s balance.

Athletes in one of the LL classes have an impairment to one or both legs, with athletes in the LL1 class having a more significant impairment than athletes in the LL2 class. For example, athletes with an above-the-knee amputation would be classified as LL1, while athletes with a below-the-knee amputation on one leg would be classified as LL2.

Unlike the sports above, para snowboarding does not use factored timing. Instead, athletes are separated into different classifications and compete against other athletes in that same class. This system allows athletes to race side-by-side on the same course while maintaining a relatively level playing field.

The caveat is that, due to smaller field sizes, the only women’s classification contested at these Paralympics will be LL2. Brenna Huckaby, who has an above-the-knee amputation and is classified as LL1, will compete in the LL2 event — a practice known as “competing up.”

There is one single sled hockey tournament. Athletes must have a permanent impairment affecting one or both legs, but there are no separate classifications.

There are two separate tournaments for wheelchair curling, both of which are mixed-gender events. Athletes must have a permanent impairment affecting one or both legs, but there are no separate classifications. Using a wheelchair in daily life is not a prerequisite; however, all athletes must use a wheelchair during competition.

Events

• Mixed Doubles
• Mixed Team