Milano-Cortina 2026: Olympic and Paralympic Games

Don’t turn off the spotlight: continuity, inclusion, and future in the spirit of the Games

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“The entire world — and not only Italy — followed with emotion and participation these extraordinary Winter Games and the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic phase. It was a great celebration of sport, capable of uniting different peoples and cultures, and an international showcase in which every Nation could feel proudly represented. Italy, as the host Country, demonstrated competence, passion, and a strong sense of hospitality, offering a powerful and positive image of itself.”
With these words, the Undersecretary of State for Defence, Senator Isabella Rauti, delegated by the Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto to disability policies, calls for the attention and enthusiasm built during the Olympic weeks not to be interrupted: “Now let’s not turn off the spotlight. Let us keep alive a narrative and value-driven continuity in view of the Paralympic Games, scheduled from 6 to 15 March, as they represent the natural culmination of this great sporting and human experience.”

“The commitment of the Defence Ministry,” the Senator emphasizes, “will continue with the same determination during the Paralympics. After the contribution ensured before and during the Olympic Games, through organizational structures, equipment, military personnel and Defence Volunteers, we will continue providing logistical and operational support to guarantee security, efficiency, and the full success of the event.”

Making this occasion even more meaningful will also be the presence of eight athletes from the Defence Paralympic Sports Group (GSPD), established in 2014. “The Culture of Defence,” Rauti continues, “also means cohesion, social inclusion, and responsibility toward those who have served the Country. The Group was created to support service members who sustained permanent injuries in the line of duty or due to service-related causes, transforming resilience into opportunity and sport into an extraordinary instrument of personal rebirth. In recent years, the project has also opened to young civilian athletes with disabilities, through contractual pathways that enhance talent and determination.”

The Paralympics will take place simultaneously in Milan, Cortina, and Tesero, involving 665 athletes from 50 Countries — including 40 Italians — competing in six disciplines: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboard, curling, and hockey.

“I will be honored,” the Undersecretary concludes, “to closely follow the commitment of the Defence Paralympic Athletes. I hope that international attention will remain high during the final phase of these extraordinary Winter Games, which for the first time in Olympic history have created a model spread across the territory, shared by three Regions and capable of portraying a united, accessible, and inclusive Italy.”