Milano Cortina 2026: The secrets behind Paralympic success in a sit‑ski

 Japanese Para alpine skiing legend Taiki Morii has a special relationship with his sit‑ski, which is far more than just the equipment he uses to compete.

“When I’m on my sit‑ski, that’s when I feel the free the most,” Morii said. “It’s the moment when I stop feeling my disability entirely.” 

Para alpine skiers use a specific kind of sit-ski called a mono ski – it’s a chair mounted onto one ski and it is paired with outriggers for balance and turning.

Morii is a six-time Paralympian and made his debut at the Salt Lake City 2002 Games.

He was inspired to start sit-skiing after watching the Nagano 1998 Winter Paralympics while in hospital after a spinal cord injury from a motorcycle accident.

Over the decades, he has won seven medals and hopes to chase an elusive gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

“The equipment is honest. It only does exactly what you tell it to do. It won’t do anything different from your instructions. So the question is: how precisely can you give the right commands to your equipment? It all comes back to fundamentals,” he said.

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Dancing on the slopes

Norwegian five-time Paralympic gold medallist Jesper Pedersen likened being on a sit-ski to riding a bike – once you master the skill, you do not think so much about it.

“A sit-ski is basically the legs for a skier who is not able to walk,” Pedersen said.

“One of the most important things in a sit-ski is the shock absorber.... it works like people’s knees so that it takes away all the bumps.”

He uses his hips in the same way as people who ski standing  use their ankles to get the skis on the edge.

“It’s a dance,” he said.

Pedersen first used a sit-ski as a toddler under parent supervision and then, by age six was able to control it alone.

“It’s been a journey. It’s just an amazing feeling to be out in nature... trying to push the limits,” he said.

Spanish Para alpine skier Audrey Pascual discovered the joy of skiing with a sit-ski at age 11 and is also a competitive surfer.

Fresh from winning triple gold in World Cup events in Austria in January and a huge medal haul in December, Pascual will be one of the athletes to watch on the slopes at Milano Cortina 2026.

“The thing I love most is the speed... I like the adrenaline,” she said.

German Para alpine skiing four-time gold medallist Anna-Lena Forster has a custom-made mono ski.

When she finishes a race, she uses her hip and the edge of the ski as a brake.

“It’s comfortable,” she said.

Speed and power

In Para biathlon and cross-country skiing, athletes in the sitting category use a custom-designed sit-ski mounted to a pair of skis. They also use poles to manoeuvre forward while seated.

German Para biathlete and cross-country skier Anja Wicker has five straps on her sit-ski keeping her secure.

“I need a lot of power to move forward and I can’t be loose on my sit-ski,” the Paralympic gold medallist said.

There is also a built-in smart watch that shows her pulse, time and kilometres travelled. She uses training skis for warming up and “rocket skis” for competition.

Wicker said there was a big debate about the perfect length of sit-ski poles.

“Many people think I have too long poles, but I need it. Sometimes it looks a bit funny because you see my arms first before you see my head when I (go) uphill,” she said.

Since her Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014, she has watched the design development of sit-skis evolve.

“Now almost everyone is going with carbon – really lightweight,” she said. “It’s almost like Formula One.”

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