The Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games are open! The opening ceremony was held Friday evening in the sumptuous Verona Arena, in a particular context: only 28 national Paralympic committees and around forty athletes participated in the paradeSome countries boycotted the event due to the presence of Russians and Belarusians, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. Others declined due to scheduling conflicts with other competitions.
The public still turned out in force. In Italy, this ceremony attracted 3,261 million viewers on Rai 1, representing a 17% audience share. The show was also a success in France, with over two million viewers tuning in to their televisions, and a peak of 2,8 millionThe IPC's chief executive, Mike Peters, mentioned " unprecedented global coverage "of these Games."
« Coverage of the Winter Paralympic Games is not only essential to attract billions of people to the event, but also to showcase the power of difference and changing attitudes towards people with disabilities, he emphasizes. A study conducted after Paris 2024 revealed that 73% of viewers had a more positive perception of disabled people after watching the Paralympic GamesFurthermore, 80% of them stated that the Games had made them more positive about the abilities of people with disabilities. We are convinced that Milan-Cortina 2026 will have a similar impact on viewers. »
