Winter Paralympics 50th anniversary: Chinese dominance expected amid boycotts over Russian flag

Winter Paralympics 50th anniversary: Chinese dominance expected amid boycotts over Russian flag The Winter Paralympics come to Milan Cortina to celebrate their 50th anniversary, with China looking to extend its dominance as a Paralympic powerhouse and Ukraine and other nations boycotting the opening ceremony over the return of the Russian flag an... By TALES AZZONI AP sports writer March 4, 2026, 9:39 AM CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy -- The Winter Paralympics come to Milan Cortina to celebrate their 50th anniversary, with China looking to extend its dominance as a Paralympic powerhouse and Ukraine and other nations boycotting the opening ceremony over the return of the Russian flag and anthem. The Games will officially kick off on Friday amid the tensions of the war in the Middle East , which prompted travel difficulties for some of the nations coming to Italy because of a widespread flight disruptions . Iran was due to have one skier at Milan Cortina. Wheelchair curling kickstarted the competition schedule on Wednesday. The Paralympic Games are back in Italy 20 years after Torino 2006. It will be the 14th edition of the Winter Paralympics since the inaugural edition in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in 1976. Nearly 200 athletes competed in two sports at the time. Some 660 athletes will participate across the six sports in Italy from Friday through March 15. The U.S. is sending a 72-member squad to Italy, compared to the 67-member roster it took to Beijing 2022. This year’s delegation includes Oksana Masters, the most decorated American Winter Paralympian, and 16-year-old Para alpine skier Meg Gustafson. Russian athletes will compete under their own flag at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade, and the country’s national anthem could be played for gold medalists for the first time on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian flag hasn’t been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, while...