Milano Cortina 2026 top moments: Italy
Host nation Italy enjoyed their best-ever Paralympic Winter Games appearance, winning 16 medals at Milano Cortina 2026 08 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.
Host nation Italy enjoyed their best-ever Paralympic Winter Games appearance, winning 16 medals, including seven gold. Their previous record was 13 medals at Lillehammer 1994, and the highest number of gold medals was three at Innsbruck 1988, Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002.
Here are Italy’s top moments from the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
Giacomo Bertagnolli leads Italy’s Para alpine skiing medal rush
Italian Para alpine skiers were unstoppable at Milano Cortina 2026, bagging a total of 12 medals.
Home favourite Giacomo Bertagnolli won a medal in all five of his events in the men’s vision impaired category. Competing with guide Andrea Ravelli, he picked up gold medals in the alpine combined and slalom.
“I have no words to explain,” said Bertagnolli, who won four medals at both PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
“Five medals in five races. It’s a new record for me. I’m so happy because we worked so hard to come here, to arrive here prepared to do our best, and we did it. It’s awesome.”
Italy’s Opening Ceremony flagbearers, Chiara Mazzel and Rene de Silvestro, each won a gold medal and celebrated with the home crowd at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre.
Emanuel Perathoner helps Italy top Para snowboard medals table
Emanuel Perathoner won two gold medals on his Paralympic debut, leading the hosts to the top of the Para snowboard medals table. Italy claimed three Para snowboard gold medals, one more than China and the USA, who finished second in the standings.
Perathoner, a two-time Olympian, transitioned to Para sport after sustaining a major injury ahead of Beijing 2022. He topped the podium in both the men’s snowboard cross and banked slalom SB-LL2 events at the Cortina Para Snowboard Park.
Jacopo Luchini captured his maiden gold medal, winning the men’s banked slalom SB-UL event. The three-time Paralympian shared the podium with China’s Pengyao Wang and Zihao Jiang.
“This is a dream come true,” said Luchini, who made his Paralympic debut at PyeongChang 2018. “If I have to choose to win a gold medal in the three Paralympics that I had, for sure, I will choose this one.”
Italy finish Para ice hockey tournament in style
Gianluigi Rosa helped Italy finish the Para ice hockey tournament in style, scoring twice in their final game of Milano Cortina 2026.
With a 5–2 win over Germany, Italy placed fifth in the eight-team tournament at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
It was Italy’s second straight fifth-place finish and their third consecutive Paralympic Winter Games inside the top five, following fourth place at PyeongChang 2018. This time, however, the achievement came in front of thousands of Italian spectators.
“The most important thing was to finish fifth place. We deserve it,” Rosa said.
