Milano Cortina 2026: Italy’s Perathoner says Paralympic gold is incomparable

Does Emanuel Perathoner crave adrenaline?

“Totally,” he says with emphasis, as if the interviewer had summed up his whole being.

It’s why he gave up skiing when he was eight (“too boring”). And it’s why he prefers snowboard cross racing to the pure but lonely speed of banked slalom.

But it was not the need for speed, but the desire to walk up the aisle that motivated him after his knee injury.

“I had an accident in 2021 where I tried to jump over two rollers – that’s called a double in snowboarding – and I landed short so my tibial plateau exploded and after one year of rehab, we decided I needed a knee replacement,” he said.

Perathoner’s prospects of competing at his third Olympic Winter Games at Beijing in 2022 were over. But his priority was recovering for his wedding to Amelia in the Spanish Pyrenees, four months after his fourth surgery.

His injury was similar to alpine skier Federica Brignone’s. But while the darling of Italian alpine skiing battled back to win two gold medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Perathoner’s knee prosthesis meant he had to “change worlds”.

His first major gold medal arrived at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, in the Para snowboard cross SB-LL2 on 8 March. And he has the chance to equal Brignone's tally when he goes in the banked slalom on 13 March.

Para snowboard: how it all started 

Perathoner didn’t image that going to the Paralympics could be an option for him. “An ex-teammate of mine talked to the Italian Paralympic Committee, and that's when the idea to try it (came).

“The first year [after starting Para snowboarding], the main goal was looking for the Games, it was my new journey. I already knew I wanted to be here."

That required a deal of adaptation. Perathoner's left knee locks at 35-40 degrees, causing him to compensate with his back and hip, both in snowboarding and in daily life, he explained.

But Perathoner had already learned to battle before his injury.

He first competed on the FIS World Cup circuit at 16, performing consistently without dazzling for some years. He took construction jobs between training and events, sometimes sleeping in his van. Sustained success only came after he turned 30, with team and individual World Cup wins and a World Championship bronze.

The B of the bang

Perathoner's Olympic appearances at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 were underwhelming - yet integral to his gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026.

“I was used to pressure since I started in (Olympic) snowboarding first.

“If you go first time to the Games everything is huge, it’s new,” he said. “You enjoy it a lot but it’s also a lot to absorb. Having that experience already, it’s easier to just focus on the Games.

“My experience helps a lot, especially when we are there at the gate."

Perathoner’s composure at the off was clear. In the semifinals and final, he exploded out of the gate, setting off ahead of the other riders and finishing even further ahead - well clear of the perilous skirmishes common in snowboard cross racing.

“I did pretty good time trials [the day before] so I knew the times of my competitors, so the first two heats I was chilling a little bit,” Perathoner said afterwards.

“In the final I had a pretty good start so I could do my race and my lines. That was the most important thing in my race today – the start.”

The home straight

Perathoner lives in the Dolomites, two hours’ drive from the scene of his gold medal win, in the famous ski resort of Val Gardena. Dotted in between the snowboard content, his Instagram account shows him hiking in the mountains with his beloved samusky dog Shira, who also stars in his wedding album.

Perathoner’s explosive start may have been key to his gold medal, but he gives credit for his finish to the local crowd, which was packed around the final bends of the course.

“Especially going into, [the last] chicane, there were a lot of people cheering, so hearing all the people yelling and cheering for me gave me an extra push for the last few metres,” he said.

“Having a gold medallist [from Italy] in Para snowboarding – finally it’s happened after four Games so I’m super happy to be that guy.

“I thought: 'The last four years have been totally worth it. All the work I was putting in, and all the travelling, all the time away from home, it was totally worth it.'”

Nothing compares

As an Olympian and a Paralympian, Perathoner is often asked to compare the two spheres.

“The most amazing thing I like about Paralympic sport is that it’s about not just the results but also the experience,” he said.

If he has a complaint, it's lack of coverage. But Perathoner comes across as irrepressibly cheerful.

“Paralympic sport has grown a lot," he said. "It’s super exciting for me to learn about new Paralympic sports and the athletes behind the sport. The Paralympic athletes have way more stories behind them than maybe an able-bodied athlete.”

Perathoner’s own narrative is growing ever richer. His rivals in the final at Milano Cortina 2026 were all around a decade younger than the 39-year-old. Yet he is talking not just about the French Alps 2030, but even Utah 2034.

Perhaps by then, people will stop asking him for comparisons; Perathoner certainly prefers to avoid them.

“At the beginning I was comparing my first career with my second career,” he said.

“But then I learnt it was a totally different thing. Having now a new career – it’s a second chance. I’m trying to do my best and not compare a Paralympic career with an Olympic career.” 

Where to watch and listen to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

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