Korman's unexpected ice hockey passion fires Slovakia to Milano Cortina 2026
A chance encounter at his local gym set David Korman on the road to the Paralympic Games. Now he is confident up-and-coming Slovakia can eclipse their Beijing 2022 performance. 04 Mar 2026
David Korman and his Slovakia team have accelerated through the ranks of Para ice hockey.
It is hard to believe Korman happened on ice hockey by chance.
As he puts it, “Paralympic sport discovered me.”
Korman liked to work out, but sport held no interest for him. That changed in 2016 when his now Slovakia teammate, Miroslav Stasak, approached him at his local gym in his hometown of Oravská Polhora.
Stasak invited him to try Para ice hockey. Korman was initially hesitant but was captivated once he watched the sport.
By 2019, the forward had made his national-team debut in Malmö, Sweden.
The Slovakian team was progressing just as swiftly. The nation only established a Para ice hockey programme in 2010. By 2021, it was staking its claim in the World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool after several years in the B-Pool.
One of Korman’s favourite hockey memories was playing in the team that won promotion to the A-Pool.
“I remember it as if it was today because it was the biggest achievement for us as a team at the time,” Korman said.
“We really appreciated it because we were all in for it. Everybody gave everything they had to achieve that goal.”
Now Korman’s Slovakia team will battle USA, Canada, Czechia, China, Germany, Japan and hosts Italy at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The team secured one of the last two Paralympic spots at the 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament in Jessheim, Norway in November.
And Korman will not be so awestruck as he was during Slovakia’s Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022, when he scored their first-ever Paralympic goal.
“When we qualified for Beijing (2022), I made sure to take in the moments because it was my very first time at a Paralympics. It was magical.
“However, when we qualified this time, we know we have to continue putting in the work as we have made a lot of sacrifices so we must make sure we do our best.”
Slovakia finished in last place at Beijing 2022. But Korman says they have worked hard to improve.
“We train on the ice twice a week," he said. "Each player has a strength and conditioning plan they follow in the gym. We have made great progress since the last Paralympics and I’m looking forward to showing that in Milano Cortina.”
Since Beijing 2022, Korman has moved to Dolný Kubín in order to fit in extra training. He works remotely as a programmer, a job he can tailor around his training schedule.
The Slovakia squad at Milano Cortina 2026 is on the mature side, with an average age of 39. Korman is the second-youngest member at 27. This makes competition physically demanding, but Slovakia proved themselves more than capable of rising to the occasion in the qualification tournament in Jessheim.
“From my perspective, it was the hardest tournament ever,” Korman said. “All the teams were great. Every game was a hard fight. It was mentally tough but we made it.”
What are Korman’s ambitions for Milano Cortina 2026?
“We would like to achieve a higher finish after the last Paralympics. We are aiming for at least seventh place, but I think we can make it to fifth place. We want to improve as much as possible.”
