The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics ended with a result that would deserve entire pages of celebrations, but which went almost unnoticed compared to the Olympics last February. The Italian Paralympic athletes have in fact signed a true sporting feat, writing one of the most important pages in the history of Italian sport.
The numbers speak for themselves: 16 medals overall, of which 7 gold, 7 silver and 2 bronze, the best result ever achieved by Italy in a winter Paralympics. A goal that surpasses the previous record set in Lillehammer 1994, when the Azzurri achieved 13 podiums but without even a gold medal.
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Thanks to these extraordinary performances, Italy closed the Paralympics in fourth place in the medal table, behind the great sporting powers such as China, the United States and Russia. Yet, despite this, their victories took a backseat to the results of the Olympics, with a media echo that to define as more “contained” is an understatement.
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A historic result worth fourth place
And speaking of the Olympics, the data becomes even more significant if we consider the combined ranking between the Olympics and Paralympics, where Italy confirms the same placing with 46 total medals: 17 gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze. A result that testifies to the strength of an expedition capable of competing at the highest levels and which contributed to making Milano Cortina 2026 one of the most brilliant Games in Italian history.
The protagonists of a record-breaking Paralympics
Among the athletes who shone, Giacomo Bertagnolli stands out, the absolute protagonist of Paralympic alpine skiing. Together with guide Andrea Ravelli, the Italian won two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze, becoming one of the symbols of this edition. The performance of Chiara Mazzel, Italian standard-bearer, was also extraordinary, capable of winning four medals including one gold.
In para snowboarding, other important successes arrived thanks to Emanuel Perathoner, author of a splendid golden double, and Jacopo Luchini, who climbed to the top step of the podium in the banked slalom. Completing the Italian haul were also René De Silvestro, Federico Pelizzari and Giuseppe Romele, protagonists of intense and spectacular races.
A silent but extraordinary undertaking
If the Olympics turned the world’s spotlight on our country, the Paralympics told an equally extraordinary story, although unfortunately less noisy because it is still considered “second-class” by many.
The Azzurri demonstrated talent, determination and great resilience to the difficulties of life, giving Italy a record-breaking Paralympics, capable of equaling the enthusiasm experienced during the Olympic Games in terms of emotions and results.
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