The inaugural medals of the Games will be presented in Cortina during the women’s and men’s Para-Alpine skiing downhill events, which will take place across all three classifications: visually impaired, standing, and sitting, at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre.
The men’s visually impaired race begins at 09:50, with Neil Simpson and his brother and guide, Andrew, aiming for a strong performance. This event may not showcase their strongest skills, despite securing multiple World Cup podium finishes this season. Fred Warburton, alongside teammate James Hannan, will also compete in this category at their first Paralympic Games. Warburton, a former decathlete diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition six years ago, only began racing in February 2025.
The women’s visually impaired event is set to kick off the day’s competitions at 08:30, featuring Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide Katie Guest. Although this may not be Fitzpatrick’s most favorable race, she achieved a world title in 2019. Remarkably Britain’s most decorated Winter Paralympian with six medals, Fitzpatrick is making a comeback after recovering from a broken leg and knee injury sustained over the past year and a half. Guest, who unfortunately had to miss the Beijing Games due to a positive Covid test, will be making her Paralympic debut.
Competitors in the visually impaired categories are guided down the course by a guide using radio communication to navigate the slopes. Defending her women’s standing title is Canada’s Mollie Jepsen, amidst notable competition, including Varvara Voronchikhina, one of six Russian athletes who will participate under their national flag following the International Paralympic Committee’s recent lifting of the ban.
The Para-snowboard programme is set to begin at 10:00 with snowboard cross qualifying rounds, determining athlete rankings ahead of Sunday’s elimination rounds. Scotland’s Davy Zyw, believed to be the first athlete with motor neurone disease (MND) to compete at the Games, will participate in the men’s UL (upper limb) event at 10:21. Also racing are James Barnes-Miller, marking his third Games, alongside Ollie Hill, who will compete in the men’s LL2 (lower limb) category from 11:03.
Day one of the Para-biathlon events features Scott Meenagh in the seated sprint over 7.5km at 09:35, with ambitious aspirations for a top-five finish. In wheelchair curling, the mixed doubles event continues as Great Britain takes on reigning champions Japan at 13:35, concurrently launching the mixed team event. GB’s squad, including Hugh Nibloe, Karen Aspey, Austin McKenzie, Graeme Stewart, and Stewart Pimblett, will face Slovakia at 08:35, who narrowly missed a medal during the last Worlds, and later compete against the USA at 17:35.
The excitement continues with Para-ice hockey, featuring a face-off between powerhouse teams USA and Canada against Italy at 16:05 and Slovakia at 19:35, promising a thrilling start to the competitions.