Road to Milano Cortina 2026: Ribera targets Brazil's first Winter Games medal

Brazil is not a country known for its achievements in snow sports. But that could all change soon if Cristian Westemaier Ribera has his way.

The Para cross-country skier is aiming to be the first athlete from his nation to win a medal at a Paralympic or Olympic Winter Games as he prepares to compete in his third Games at the age of just 23.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will be his chance to make history. 

“I want to do my best as always,” Ribera said. “That could mean a medal. I want to challenge myself to be better.”

No snow, no problem

Ribera, who was born with a condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, grew up having more than 20 surgeries. As part of his rehabilitation, doctors encouraged him to try a number of sports. 

“I started with swimming, I did athletics, played tennis, boccia, I danced when I was younger - today I am very bad - and now here we are,” Ribera said.

Ribera was introduced to Para Nordic skiing in 2015 as part of a project put together by the Brazilian Snow Sports Federation (CBDN) with the support of the International Paralympic Committee’s development arm.

The project’s aim was to have a Brazilian athlete contending for a medal at the 2030 Paralympic Winter Games, but with Ribera progressing quickly, that goal could be accomplished a lot sooner.

“I was already sporty and my coach told me it would be a good experience, so I was curious," he said. “We don't actually have any snow in Brazil, but I skated a lot when I was younger and we still train a lot with roller skis, which simulate actual skis but on the asphalt.”

Using roller skis, which have wheels to emulate cross-country skiing, he discovered both the fun of the sport and his own talent. Soon after, he imagined himself competing on the biggest stage: the Paralympic Winter Games.

“We can make the technique similar, particularly on the downhills - which for me is the fun aspect - but when it comes to the corners, it's a lot different so it takes time to adapt. I was very good on the turns and technically, I just had to improve my physical capacity, my resistance, my strength. 

“My goal was to go the Paralympics and to one day be a medallist.”

Journey to the Paralympic Winter Games

Aged just 15, Ribera competed at PyeongChang 2018 - just four years after Brazil made its Paralympic Winter Games debut in Sochi. He finished sixth in the men’s 15km sitting event, achieving Brazil’s best result ever at a Winter Paralympic and Olympic Games. 

“It was amazing. I always dreamed of doing this," Ribera recalled. "Because I was just 15, I didn't really understand [how big it was] at first. I was just doing what I always do, giving 100 per cent.” 

“After the Opening Ceremony, I realised what (the Paralympics) were about. I had very good results, so I'm really proud.”

Preparations for Beijing 2022 had been going well, too, with a silver medal in the sprint at the Lillehammer 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships, as well as two other top-10 finishes.

But Ribera struggled in the lead up to the Games with three bouts of Covid-19. He failed to make the final in the men’s sprint sitting event and finished 14th and 13th in his other races at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre.

Third time lucky?

Unperturbed, Ribera has gone from strength to strength since Beijing, claiming 13 podiums, including seven in the 2024/2025 season . He also claimed four FIS Para Cross-Country World Championship medals, including gold in the men’s sprint sitting in Trondheim, Norway, in March 2025, to become one of the undisputed stars of his sport.

“For me, it's good, but I know that the results talk louder so I always try to do my best,” he said. “This is important because I'm trying to increase the profile of snow sports in my country. We have a lot of work to do, so I just have to continue this good job and be a champion.”

Ribera may carry the hopes of a nation on his shoulders when he takes to the tracks at Milano Cortina 2026, but for motivation, he doesn't have to look beyond his inner circle. 

“My family always supported me a lot and even today, I do it for me but also because of them,” he said. “My brother became my coach because of me. Of course, we get into fights. We are siblings! My sister is an Olympic athlete too, Eduarda Ribera.

Ribera says he is already familiar with the course in Val di Fiemme, where Para cross-country skiing and Para biathlon events will take place. In February 2025, he competed in a Milano Cortina 2026 test event there.

“To prepare for Milano Cortina, we have already prepared a little in Val di Fiemme. I won a gold and silver there in the World Cup [in February 2025]. To know the tracks, to know the secrets already, is good, because we can prepare the best way possible.”

Change Starts with Sport

Looking back on the time he took up Para sport as part of his rehabilitation, he is glad to see how far Para sport has taken him. 

“Para sport made me who I am; gave me my independence. It made me do my best in everything. It's the best thing you can do - to know your goals, to make new memories, to improve yourself as a person.”

For years, he has dreamed of topping the podium at a Paralympic Winter Games. And he knows what it takes to achieve this.  

“To be on the podium, you have to work the hardest you can. After, you can question what you did wrong or why [your rival] was so fast.

“The feeling when you get on the podium is better when you suffer a lot because you know that your hard work has been compensated, was valuable, and that the day you didn't make it to the top of the podium, when you got second place, that was probably the day that you learned how to win.”

After missing out on the podium at PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022, he believes that Milano Cortina 2026 will be his moment – his chance to bring home a medal for Brazil. 

“In PyeongChang I was the youngest and I was just starting this sport that I'm really good at now. Just enjoying it. Covid really affected my preparation for Beijing. 

“Milano Cortina will be different. I'm expecting good things.”

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