IPC President Envisions Growth for Winter Paralympics Post Record-Breaking Games
After record-breaking Paralympics in Italy, IPC president sees room to grow
Cbc
Image: Cbc
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics saw over 600 athletes from 55 nations compete, achieving record viewership with 650 million video views. IPC President Andrew Parsons aims to enhance the profile of winter sports, increase female participation, and add new sports by 2034, despite challenges like climate change and political controversies.
- 01Milano Cortina 2026 featured over 600 athletes competing in 79 events across six sports, marking the largest Winter Paralympics to date.
- 02IPC President Andrew Parsons reported 650 million video views during the Games, surpassing expectations.
- 03Parsons aims to increase women's participation in the Winter Paralympics, where only 26% of competitors were women in 2026.
- 04There are plans to introduce women's Para ice hockey by 2030 to promote gender balance in the Games.
- 05Challenges such as climate change and political controversies, including boycotts due to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, have affected the event.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics has set new records, featuring over 600 athletes from 55 national Paralympic committees competing in 79 events across six sports. IPC President Andrew Parsons highlighted the impressive 650 million video views during the Games, indicating a growing interest in Paralympic sports. Despite this success, Parsons sees significant potential for growth, particularly in increasing female participation, where only 160 women competed, representing just over 26% of total athletes. He aims to add more sports, including women's Para ice hockey by 2030, to enhance gender balance. However, the event faced challenges such as climate change affecting conditions and political controversies surrounding the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus. Parsons emphasized the importance of focusing on athletes and their achievements, hoping that the Los Angeles 2028 Games can further shift perceptions of disability and diversity.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
The growth of the Winter Paralympics could lead to increased funding and support for female athletes and winter sports.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Reader Poll
What do you think about increasing women's participation in winter sports?
Connecting to poll...
Read the original article
Visit the source for the complete story.