The Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics will deliver a spectacle of historic rivalries, comebacks, and new stories to watch as U.S. stars like Oksana Masters, Declan Farmer, and Steve Emt chase medals and inspire the world.
The countdown is on. In just 100 days, the Milan Cortina Paralympics will ignite the global stage from the legendary Verona Arena, celebrating fifty years since the inaugural Winter Paralympic Games. The anticipation has never been higher — not just for the 79 events across six disciplines, but for the stories, rivalries, and names that are defining a golden era of adaptive winter sport.
Global powerhouses including the United States, Canada, Ukraine, and surging China set the tone for fierce competition. China, on home snow in 2022, doubled the next-best nation’s total medal haul. But the U.S. remains a consistent podium presence — and the personal journeys fueling their contenders this year demand the spotlight.
Oksana Masters: U.S. Record Setter and Inspirational Force
Oksana Masters stands as the leading medal-winner in American Winter Paralympic history, boasting 14 medals (five gold) from just three Games. Masters shattered the longstanding marks of Alpine ski legends Sarah Billmeier and Sarah Will, with her seven-medal tour de force in 2022 confirming her place among the world’s elite.
The road back to the Games was anything but smooth. Masters overcame a missed season due to health challenges, followed by hand surgery that threatened to sideline her hopes in the precision-demanding biathlon. Defying the odds, she returned to training this fall, reigniting hopes for another multi-sport medal run as the competitive season opens.
- 14 Winter Paralympic medals places Masters atop all American competitors.
- Her journey from Ukrainian orphanage adoption to Team USA trailblazer has captivated fans globally.
- Her versatility is unmatched: including Summer Games, she owns 19 total Paralympic medals.
Masters aims to close the gap on Will’s U.S. record for golds, and with a resurgent season on tap, the world will watch to see if she can further separate herself among the greats.
USA vs Canada: Hockey’s Ultimate Rivalry Shifts to the Paralympic Spotlight
No rivalry in winter sport delivers drama quite like USA-Canada in Para hockey. The last ten years have been defined by finals showdowns, win streaks, and traded world titles. Team USA, four-time reigning Paralympic champions, faced a stinging defeat at World Championships in 2024, ending a 41-game win streak — only to answer back and reclaim the crown with a commanding 6-1 victory.
At the center of it all is Declan Farmer, a Princeton graduate whose talent and tenacity made him the all-time leading American goal scorer before age 25. With more than 200 goals and 400 points, Farmer foots the charge for a U.S. squad motivated by redemption and an iron-willed rivalry that never lets up.
- Every global Para hockey final in the past decade: USA vs Canada.
- USA: Four consecutive Paralympic golds, but momentum tested by Canada’s breakout in ’24.
- Farmer’s individual scoring record cements him as a generational superstar.
As athletes and coaches fuel the fire with their remarks — calling wins “dominating” or “the best game I’ve seen the U.S. play in a long time” — expect both sides to deliver another epic chapter this winter.
Steve Emt and the Debut of Mixed Doubles Wheelchair Curling
A new event arrives in Milan Cortina: mixed doubles wheelchair curling. Here, Steve Emt, a former UConn basketball player, embodies resilience and reinvention. After a life-changing accident ended his basketball career, Emt found a new competitive home in curling. He’s now set to represent Team USA alongside Laura Dwyer after earning their spot by winning the U.S. Paralympic Trials.
Emt’s journey is cinematic, even appearing in the iconic “The Last Dance” documentary after meeting Michael Jordan through shared UConn connections in the 1990s. His story — from tragedy, through reinvention, to elite Paralympic competition — resonates with sports fans everywhere.
U.S. Para Snowboarding: The Dynasty Continues
Since snowboarding’s introduction in 2014, the U.S. has dominated the sport’s adaptive categories. Brenna Huckaby, a mother of two and a cancer survivor, leads the charge with three Paralympic golds and four overall medals, making her the most decorated snowboarder in the field’s short history.
Noah Elliott and Mike Schultz are set to return. Elliott overcame both fatherhood at fifteen and a cancer diagnosis to claim gold in 2018. Schultz, age 44, is a self-made engineer who revolutionized prosthetics for adaptive athletes. Together, they headline a team looking to double the medal count yet again.
- Zach Miller — from 11th and 15th in 2022 to sweeping World Championship medals in 2023 — keeps expanding the American medal map, earning headlines on and off the snow with heroic acts and steady performance improvements.
The Big Picture: What These Games Mean for Fans and the Paralympic Movement
The Milan Cortina Paralympics mark a half-century since the debut of these Winter Games. That legacy — from ancient arenas to future-facing athletes — is stronger than ever, with record participation and global viewership expected. The stories of Masters, Farmer, Emt, Huckaby, and their rivals speak to the universality of sport: the power to inspire, to rebound after adversity, and to unite fans from every corner of the world.
With rivalries sharp, comebacks brewing, and new champions ready to emerge, fans will witness not only the pursuit of medals, but a celebration of adaptability and human spirit. The stage is set; the athletes are ready. This is Paralympic sport at its best.
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