Austria’s Aigner siblings target Paralympic medal haul at Milano Cortina 2026
Austrian Para alpine skiing siblings Johannes, Veronika and Elisabeth Aigner are chasing new heights at Milano Cortina 2026 after a historic medal haul at Beijing 2022 30 May 2025
Austrian skiers Johannes, Veronika, and Elisabeth Aigner say that success runs in the family. At the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, the three siblings, alongside their sister Barbara, secured an astonishing nine medals, including four golds, in Para alpine skiing.
However, the trio say they have bigger goals in mind: topping their own medal table at Milano Cortina 2026.
From Beijing 2022 to new dreams
If the Aigners were a country, the four siblings would have finished eighth on the medals table at Beijing 2022. Johannes Aigner knows a thing or two about it.
Johannes, now 20 years old, made history in the Chinese capital, becoming the first Austrian athlete to win five Para alpine skiing medals at the same Paralympics, winning two golds, two silvers, and a bronze in the men’s VI category for athletes with vision impairment.
“It’s a beautiful memory, and it was a wonderful experience. Something I did not want to miss,” he said. “You only start realising what you’ve achieved a week or two after the Games, because the focus is always on the next race. You don’t want to rest on your laurels, as they say so nicely. It took me some time to process it all.”
Three years on, Johannes is looking ahead to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, which will take place from 6-15 March. There will be up to 190 Para alpine skiers competing in 30 medal events.
“Topping our previous medal table would be a dream come true. I’m looking forward to the competitions, as the slope itself is very cool. It’s not the easiest downhill run, and I think that makes it so exciting. You can really let off the steam a bit in terms of skiing technique.”
Hungry for more
Like Johannes, siblings Veronika and Elisabeth are also training to compete in five disciplines – downhill, super-G, alpine combined, giant slalom and slalom – at the Games next year.
At Beijing 2022, Veronika won the giant slalom and the slalom races in the women’s VI category, with Elisabeth as her sighted guide on the slope.
“Back then, the Paralympics marked our comeback after Veronika’s knee injury. One year before Beijing, she tore all the ligaments in both knees and injured her meniscus. It was a tough time and, to be honest, we didn’t even know if we could make it to the Paralympics,” Elisabeth recalled.
“We were allowed to compete by the skin of our teeth,” Veronika said with a laugh. “We managed to win two golds, and that was an incredible feeling. Now we’re training in all five disciplines to hopefully top our medal tally of two gold medals. We’re in a positive mood. We have high ambitions.
“Of course, we already have a lot of gold medals at home,” Veronika added. “Each of them has its own story. From now on, every race serves as training and experience towards Milano Cortina. Because there, we want to do even better.
“We’re proud of having achieved so much already, but we’re still hungry for more. The feeling of winning never fades, thank goodness, and you can enjoy it every time like it’s the first time.”
Secret to success
Elisabeth, who competes as a guide skier for Veronika, says the secret to their success is clear. The siblings took up the sport at a very young age and they love skiing as a family.
“Having your siblings with you has both positive and negative aspects. But there are many more positive ones,” Elisabeth said. “You can motivate each other, and we are there for each other.
“We definitely have a lot of fun as a family. The most important thing is that we enjoy skiing. That’s the secret behind our success.”
At Milano Cortina 2026, the trio hopes to enjoy the Games as a family and celebrate incredible moments together.
“We hope our Paralympic experience will be even better than the one in Beijing,” Elisabeth said. “It’ll be a Games without Covid-19, without masks. We can hopefully soak up more from the Games experience. And hopefully a bit more partying on the last evening.”
While they love having their family around, there is one thing they will do differently next year.
“We’d rather leave Mum in the finish area instead of taking her everywhere with us. In Beijing, it was only a stress factor as she was so nervous all the time,” Elisabeth said with a laugh.
With less than one year to go until the Games, Johannes says that he and his sisters know they can rely on each other and their experience to realise their dreams. “I’m sure we will make it happen,” he said.
Medals and more wins
While gold medals are their main goal, Elisabeth said there is more she hopes for in Italy next year.
“What is close to my heart is the hope that Paralympic sports will gain more recognition,” she said.
“I hope there will be more passion, more interest for Paralympic sports. That’s very important to me. The athletes simply invest everything and I want people to see the athletes the same way as they see themselves. We will show what we can do and hopefully that will lead to what I hope for.”
For the Aigner siblings, Milano Cortina 2026 will not be the end. When asked what their future holds after Milano Cortina 2026, Johannes, Barbara, and Elisabeth said they hope they will continue racing together for many more years.
“The sport has brought us a lot of ups and downs. Fortunately, the positive moments outweigh the negative ones. As long as the fun is in the foreground, I don’t think there will be any problem with continuing the sport for many more years,” Johannes said.
The Aigner family!🎵
Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.
For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org
