It's nearly time go time! With the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympic Games just 100 days away, the pressure never has been higher for these athletes. To help set the stage, and highlight the must-see moments coming up, the producers at NBCOlympics.com put together a list of the top-12 storylines to watch when the Games kick off.

Happy 50th, Winter Paralympics!

The 2026 Milan Cortina Games will mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics, which debuted in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. Fifty-three athletes with amputations and visual impairments from 16 countries competed in the first Games, and only two sports were contested that year: para Alpine skiing and para cross-country skiing.

More athletes than ever before

In Beijing, 558 athletes competed at the Paralympics. The 2026 Games will see 665 Olympic quota spots (323 for men, 176 for women, and 166 gender-free) awarded to participating countries, a 20% increase from the final entry numbers from 2022.

Will China continue newfound medal dominance?

After winning just one medal at PyeongChang 2018 — and none at all in the history of the Winter Paralympics before then — China topped the table with 61 medals when Beijing hosted the Games four years ago. The remarkable turnaround was the result of huge government investment into finding and training athletes in time for the nation’s home Paralympics. China has been a Paralympic powerhouse at the Summer Games since 2004, and now the nation will have a chance to prove it’s here to stay at the Winter Games as well.

Milan Cortina redefines what an accessible Games can look like

Milan Cortina is positioning itself as one of the most accessible Paralympic Winter Games ever, with major investments in barrier-free venues, transportation, and city infrastructure across both regions. Organizers have pledged significantly upgraded accessibility standards — from improved public transit and fully-adapted competition sites to expanded accommodations and services designed for athletes, spectators, and residents with disabilities. “What is happening across Italy is monumental,” International Paralympics Committee President Andrew Parsons said. “It is truly fantastic that the Games have acted as a catalyst for all these important projects,” reflecting a commitment not just to compliance but to lasting inclusion well beyond 2026.

Para sports develop closer ties to Olympic counterparts

After the last Games, the International Paralympic Committee transferred governance of three winter para sports (Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding) to the International Ski Federation, and transferred governance of para biathlon to the International Biathlon Union. Meanwhile, U.S. Ski & Snowboard integrated the U.S. para Alpine ski and para snowboard teams into its roster. These moves have resulted in para sports receiving more resources and becoming more closely aligned with their Olympic counterparts.

Can the Aigners family top their stunning 2022 medal haul?

The Aigner siblings — Johannes, Veronika, Barbara, and guide-skier Elisabeth — have become one of the most remarkable stories in para Alpine skiing, turning the 2022 Beijing Paralympics into a family showcase. The four combined for nine medals, including four golds, during their first Paralympic appearance. Johannes emerged as the breakout star with five medals, while Veronika, guided by Elisabeth, claimed double gold in slalom and giant slalom. Barbara added a giant slalom bronze, rounding out a historic family haul.

All four learned to ski at a young age near their home village of Gloggnitz, about an hour outside Vienna, encouraged by parents who insisted they master the basics of navigating snowy terrain before racing gates. Their tightly-knit dynamic — including Elisabeth transitioning from racer to full-time guide for Veronika — has become one of the most compelling narratives in the sport.

With the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics on the horizon, the Aigners have set their sights on expanding their medal count, aiming to build on a debut that captured international attention and redefined what a single family can accomplish on the slopes.

Will veteran talent lift the U.S. back to glory at Milan Cortina?

At the 2022 Beijing Paralympics, the United States brought home more medals in the two Paralympic Nordic skiing disciplines — biathlon and cross-country skiing — than any other, including a historic first-ever gold medal in the mixed 4x2.5km cross-country relay. With the return of several seasoned veterans like Oksana Masters, Aaron Pike, Jake Adicoff, Kendall Gretsch, Sydney Peterson, and Dani Aravich, the country will look to build on its success from four years ago.

A Paralympic power couple

With a combined 19 world titles, 37 world championship medals, and 14 Paralympic appearances, Nordic skiers Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike are one of the most prolific couples in elite sports. While Masters aims to increase her record number of Winter Paralympic medals (14) and Pike hopes to bring home his first from Milan Cortina, the two have another milestone event on their minds: their wedding, which is to take place in Milan after the conclusion of the 2026 Paralympics.

Can the U.S. return to the top of the medal count?

The U.S. para snowboard team heads into the 2026 Paralympics looking to reclaim the dominance it displayed in 2018, when Americans swept multiple podiums and set the competitive standard in both snowboardcross and banked slalom. That momentum dipped in 2022 as other nations surged and depth across the field tightened, leaving Team USA with significantly fewer medals. With veterans like Brenna Huckaby, Mike Schultz, Noah Elliott, and emerging riders adding fresh strength to the roster, the team is aiming to reestablish itself as the powerhouse program it once was.

Can Team USA do it again (and again and again and again and again)?

Team USA is aiming for its fifth consecutive and sixth overall Paralympic gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games. The U.S. has won five Paralympic gold medals since the sport debuted in 1994 and earned bronze in 2006. Sweden (1994), Norway (1998) and Canada (2006) are the only other countries to take home gold at the Games.

Can the U.S. win a wheelchair curling medal?

The United States has earned a medal in every Winter Paralympic sport—except for wheelchair curling. The closest they’ve come is a fourth-place finish at the Vancouver Games way back in 2010. For the first time in Milan Cortina, the nation will have two opportunities to change its fortunes with the addition of the wheelchair mixed doubles event. Team Dwyer/Emt will represent the country, while Paralympic veterans Matthew Thums and Oyuna Uranchimeg will lead the five-person mixed curling rink.

The debut of Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling

In 2006, the Torino Games introduced wheelchair mixed curling as a medal sport. 20 years later, a new wheelchair discipline will be added to the Milan Cortina program: wheelchair mixed doubles curling. Rather than four players per team (plus an alternate), mixed doubles includes a rink of two, one man and one woman. There’s no sweeping involved and each squad throws five stones per end, with eight ends in a game. American Paralympic athletes Steve Emt and Laura Dwyer qualified for the Games by winning the Team Trials in November and will be the first doubles pair in history to represent the U.S. They’ll also look to become the first American wheelchair athletes to take home a medal.