Milan Cortina 2026

Paralympics, Verona starts with the right feet, prostheses and wheels

The opening ceremony of the XIV Winter Games brings sport back to centre stage, where disability is only one of the rules of the game

by Giulia Riva

7 March 2026

La schermitrice italiana Beatrice Vio tiene la torcia paralimpica durante la cerimonia di apertura delle Paralimpiadi invernali 2026, a Verona, Italia, venerdì 6 marzo 2026. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

It was a gentle Arena di Verona that welcomed and accompanied the Opening Ceremony of the fourteenth Winter Paralympics on Friday 6 March. It does not boo when, after weeks of controversy surrounding the International Paralympic Committee's decision to re-admit Russia and Belarus with national anthems and flags, the respective delegations make their entrance on stage. Perhaps because many athletes were missing: between those who were absent in protest against what the Ipc had decided and those who preferred to rest before morning competitions far away from Verona, only half of the participating national committees paraded. Perhaps because the crisp air of a not-yet-spring evening invites one to stay wrapped up in the Roman amphitheatre and enjoy the spectacle. But certainly because the Paralympic spirit managed to make room for itself in a kick-off ritual that focuses attention on sport and the concreteness of bodies and people capable of doing - and doing well - both when it comes to competitive competitions and artistic performances.

They danced to the notes of Dardust, Miky Bionic - a DJ and producer, the only artist in Italia to perform with a bionic myoelectric hand after losing his left arm in an accident - and Meduza, an electronic/house music group accompanying the entrance of athletes and flags.

Verona (ITA) 06/03/2026 XIV Giochi Paralimpici Invernali di Milano Cortina 2026 Cerimonia di Inaugurazione Foto di Gennaro Masi e Giampaolo Piazzi GMT-CIP

The applause of the audience is thunderous when the Ukrainian flag enters the stage, even without athletes in tow. The same warmth is reserved only for the Azzurri - playing at home and livening up the party - and the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who rises as they pass by to applaud them and then officially declares the Paralympics open.

Mattarella apre i Giochi Paralimpici Invernali Milano Cortina 2026

"Life in motion", the show by Marco Boarino, plays on the role of Verona as the city of love and loves to experience the vibes, the sensations that allow us to create new spaces together: not 'accessible to', but accessible, period.

The Mameli anthem sung by Mimì Caruso, an award-winning voice from the talent show X Factor, of Malian origin, was approved. Also thrilling was "NoGravity", the choreography by director Emiliano Pellisari that saw standing and wheelchair-bound performers suspended in mid-air.

Verona (ITA) 06/03/2026 XIV Giochi Paralimpici Invernali di Milano Cortina 2026 Cerimonia di Inaugurazione Foto di Gennaro Masi e Giampaolo Piazzi GMT-CIP

"Four years ago I said I was shocked by what was happening in the world, unfortunately the situation has not improved. At a time when some countries are known more for their gold leaders than for anything else, I prefer to remember them for their athletes". This is how Ipc president Andrew Parsons - after greeting the audience with a rock concert 'Ciao Verona' - proposes the Paralympic world as a place where one learns 'another perspective' and confronts each other 'with determination and fairness' united 'by mutual respect and the rules of sport'.

The Paralympic flame - which crosses the Arena supported by the prostheses of fencer Bebe Vio and lights the braziers thanks to the last torchbearers Gianmaria Dal Maistro (in Milan) and Francesca Porcellato (in Cortina) - is not enough to guarantee peace in a world where bombs are the order of the day. The Iranian delegation, represented by the skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, had to forgo the Games because - given the current international situation - it was not possible to guarantee him safe passage to Italia.

Paralimpiadi Milano Cortina, un sorvolo inclusivo sull'Arena di Verona

The concluding speech by Michaela Benthaus, however, gives an idea of what the Paralympics can offer. An aerospace engineer working for Esa, with a degree in mechatronics and astrophysics, she is the first person in a wheelchair to have flown in space. She tells of a profession where it is not only the scientific challenges that count. "Space is also about mentality and who we think space belongs to," he says. And who we are used to seeing in a given space also shapes our expectations. "The laws of physics tell us why we fall and how we fly, but they don't explain what drives us forward," the astronaut continues. "Our dreams may be different," he says, "but we all want to be seen for our achievements and potential, not for our disability."

Verona (ITA) 06/03/2026 XIV Giochi Paralimpici Invernali di Milano Cortina 2026 Cerimonia di Inaugurazione Foto di Gennaro Masi e Giampaolo Piazzi GMT-CIP

Not even a Paralympic ceremony is enough to make everything completely accessible. The writer followed the event from a (spectacular) stage-side seat - thanks to the efforts of the Fondazione Milano Cortina - because the press box on the steps of the amphitheatre could not be reached by wheelchair.

But the joy of Elisa - 6 years old, rose-coloured glasses and rainbow wheelchair wheels, sitting next to me - who for hours waved more Italia flags than her little hands could hold, tells us that the direction is the right one: change starts with sport, but goes much further.