Milano Cortina 2026: Sweden’s Ronny Persson off to his fifth Paralympics

In the Swedish wheelchair curling team, Paralympic legend Ronny Persson has a big responsibility – locker room DJ.

He and his teammates always compile the perfect playlist of pop and rock songs to get themselves pumped up ahead of major tournaments.

“We didn’t have any music in the locker room when we were doing our warm-up routine, so I brought a speaker (in 2019),” he told the IPC.

“I thought maybe it could be fun if everyone could wish for a tune.”

Mamma Mia, here we go again

After bagging a silver medal at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, the Swedish wheelchair curling team might turn to some golden oldies to get them to the top of the podium at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

“I try to (make sure the songs) are not too slow and have a good beat... the theme song to Titanic is not the best warm-up song,” he joked.

“We are developing a good team spirit.”

Milano Cortina 2026 will be his fifth excursion to the Winter Paralympics, across a decorated sporting career where gold medals have so far proven elusive.

Persson won a bronze medal at the Nagano 1998 Winter Paralympics in the Para alpine men's downhill LW 10 event.

Four years later, at Salt Lake City, he netted three silver medals in the men's super-G LW 10, men's giant slalom LW 10 and men’s slalom LW 10 and a bronze in the downhill.

Discovering wheelchair curling

Persson had planned to retire from skiing after Torino 2006, however, shortly before the event, he developed a pressure sore and was forced to sit the Games out.

After his recovery, Persson felt lost without sport until he discovered curling around 13 years ago.

“My colleague said, ‘Why don’t you come with us and play curling?’ And I thought, I’m a downhill skier, I can’t play curling, come on... They were nagging me. So, I thought I will go and see how boring it is. I mean, how hard can it be to throw a rock?”

“I went with them and tried. My stones were all over the place, except where I wanted them to be. This was a little trickier than I thought.”

Persson was instantly hooked on the challenge.

“I go all in or nothing,” he said.

The 59-year-old said it was an interesting transitioning from Para alpine skiing – a one-man show – to the team sport of wheelchair curling.

“If you have success as a team, you have more people to share it with,” he said.

“We take the hard times together.”

It was sometimes a lonely road in individual sports, he noted.

“When I was alone as an alpine skier, if you crashed or fell, or didn’t perform well, you were the only one to blame and it was heavy on your shoulders,” he said.

From Nagano 1998 to Milano Cortina 2026

Persson was selected to carry the Swedish flag at the PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, where the Swedish wheelchair curling team finished well down the ladder.

 

By the Beijing 2022 Games, the Swedish team was hot to trot, sailing into the gold medal match.

 

But they ended up being defeated 8-3 by China. 

 

 

Persson was paralysed from the chest down after an accident in his 20s.

 

Watching the Paralympic Movement evolve over the decades has been fascinating, he said.

 

Back in the day, things were a bit more “rock and roll” but now Para sports are more organised and many Paralympians are training full time and the performance levels are going up, Persson said.

 

He recalled loving the feeling of being in the Paralympic bubble at his first Games in Nagano, Japan.

 

“Sports have been a way of living,” he said.

 

“For me, it’s been like an addictive drug. That is why I am still training and competing so many years later.”

 

 

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