Milano Cortina 2026 top moments: France
France claimed a total of four gold, four silver and four bronze medals, finishing sixth in the overall medals tally 14 Apr 2026
The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games featured 79 medal events across six sports – Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling.
The French delegation delivered a powerful performance, showcasing an exciting blend of seasoned stars and emerging talent. France finished sixth in the overall medal table after collecting an impressive 12 medals: four gold, four silver, and four bronze.
With four years remaining until the French Alps 2030 Paralympic Winter Games, the focus now shifts to building momentum and thrilling fans on home soil.
Here are France's top moments from the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
Arthur Bauchet and Aurelie Richard combine for eight medals
At the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, three-time Paralympian Arthur Bauchet won two gold medals and a silver in the men’s standing category, while Aurelie Richard delivered a breakout performance in the women’s standing events, earning three silvers and a bronze.
For Richard, it was a Paralympic debut to remember. The 20-year-old athlete immediately announced herself as one to watch for French Alps 2030, launching her campaign with a silver medal in the downhill.
“I have a lot of emotions right now. I am happy but I was so scared on the slopes because I wanted to be sure on my skis,” she said after her first medal event. “Right now I have all the emotions and I don’t even know why I am crying.”
The medals became a source of daily inspiration. She displayed them above her bed throughout the Games. “I look at them every day,” she said with a smile.
Para snowboard pioneer Cecile Hernandez wins emotional gold
Cecile Hernandez continued her remarkable Paralympic journey by winning a medal at her fourth consecutive Games. Since Para snowboard’s Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014, Hernandez has never left empty-handed, winning silver at Sochi, silver and bronze at PyeongChang 2018, and gold in the women’s snowboard cross SB-LL2 event at Beijing 2022.
At the Cortina Para Snowboard Park, the veteran once again rose to the occasion. At 51 years old, she successfully defended her title, dedicating the gold medal to her daughter, who watched from the stands. Hernandez finished ahead of Paralympic debutant Kate Delson of the USA and China’s Xinyu Wang.
“It's incredible and I still can't realise what happened,” Hernandez said. “I'm very, very, very proud. My daughter is here, and my dream was to see some tears, but tears of joy in my daughter's eyes and on her face. I did it, and this medal is for her.”
“I tried to have a big smile on the podium, but, finally, there were just tears, but tears of joy, tears of work and tears of sacrifice too. But, finally, tears of happiness.”
Karl Tabouret’s unforgettable Paralympic debut
Paralympic debuts are special, but Karl Tabouret made his truly unforgettable. The French Para cross-country skier claimed his maiden Paralympic gold after drawing on advice from teammate and five-time Paralympic champion Benjamin Daviet.
At the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Tabouret stormed to victory in the men’s classic standing race, bouncing back after a frustrating elimination in the sprint event the day before.
“I was disappointed with the result yesterday. The sprint is my specialty and I’m a world champion there, so I really wanted to give it all there and was disappointed,” Tabouret said.
“Then I spoke to my team and to Benjamin Daviet, who won the bronze yesterday, and they could more or less talk me into my best strategy to adopt for the course in today’s race. Today, I gave it all. For the team, but also for my family who have been supporting me.”
“I’m extremely happy to be part of this team. It’s a team that stands very united. We always want to give it all, not just for ourselves but for the whole team. It is like a second family.”
