The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics gave Italian sport a day to remember with a succession of breathtaking medals. After Jacopo Luchini’s gold in snowboarding, the second most prestigious medal came with Emanuel Perathoner, also in snowboarding. Then again Giacomo Bertagnolli, who won a precious silver in the vision impaired giant slalom together with guide Andrea Ravelli. Finally, Renè De Silvestro completed the haul with another splendid gold in the Gigante sitting.
The overall result is sensational: Italy reaches 14 medals, surpassing the record set at the 1994 Lillehammer Games of 13 medals. An important achievement that gains even more weight if we consider a non-secondary detail: in that edition, despite the same number of podiums, not even a gold medal arrived.
Luchini and Perathoner, snowboarding speaks Italian
As mentioned, our Azzurri opened the ball with the success of Jacopo Luchini (with hand aplasia), who in snowboarding – banked slalom SB-UL specialty – signed an impeccable performance on the Socrepes slope, securing the top step of the podium.
Shortly after, the second ring came with Emanuel Perathoner, 39, who won another gold in the banked slalom SB-LL2. The Bolzano native, already winner of a gold in snowboard cross, thus becomes the first snowboarder capable of winning two golds in the same Paralympics. A double that rightfully places him among the absolute protagonists of these Games. Perathoner had already shown solidity in the first run and in the decisive heat he confirmed his superiority, leaving behind the Swiss Von Gruenigen and the Australian Tudhope.
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Bertagnolli leads Italy to a record number of medals
And again the podium of Giacomo Bertagnolli, who won silver in the vision impaired giant slalom led by Andrea Ravelli. A heavy medal not only for the technical value of the race, but also for what it represents in the overall count of the Italian expedition.
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Renè De Silvestro, another gold and broken record
Finally the icing on the cake with Renè De Silvestro in the lead in the two heats of the Gigante sitting on the Olimpya delle Tofane. The Italian went wild in the central phase with a descent characterized by extreme jumps until he triumphed by crossing the finish line in 2:10.44, 57 hundredths of a second ahead of the Dutchman Nils De Langen. His gold is the third of the day for our standard bearers who, as mentioned, break the record of medals obtained at the Paralympics: 14. And the Games are not over yet!
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