Overview
- Russia claimed two downhill bronzes through Varvara Voronchikhina and Aleksei Bugaev, the country’s first Paralympic medals since 2014, with the tricolor raised in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
- The opening ceremony in Verona featured boos for the Russian delegation and a boycott by Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
- Attendance at the parade was limited by the multi‑site schedule, with about 45 athletes present and only 28 delegations taking part as volunteers carried many national flags.
- The IPC reinstated Russia and Belarus in September 2025 and issued limited invitations for six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their national symbols.
- The Russian Paralympic Committee’s successful CAS challenge to an International Ski and Snowboard Federation ban cleared a legal path for entries, while Iran’s sole athlete withdrew over travel safety concerns tied to the latest Middle East conflict.