2026 Winter Paralympics: One-woman “mixed” team event

The Paralympic movement began in rehabilitation centers for injured World War II veterans at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, so, it is not surprising that the early days were dominated by men, with a bias towards spinal cord injury events and limb loss.

Eight decades later, women are still underrepresented in every sport at the Winter Paralympics.

Wheelchair curling, which must include at least one woman on a five-person team, has one of the best levels of female participation. A new mixed doubles system was added at these Games, increasing women’s participation in the sport to 38% from 33% in Beijing.

So, how beneficial are mixed-gender events?

Dr. Nicholas Dean, from the University of British Columbia, has applied this question to rugby, wheelchair curling, para-ice hockey, and equestrianism. In 2023, he stated that “in practice, these sports provide little or no opportunity for women to participate in the broader Paralympic movement.”

It’s a story that applies to DiClaudio.

“I think it’s to keep the anger at bay,” she said of her sport being a mixed event. “I don’t think most bands take that seriously. I think the goal is to keep people calm.”

The Team USA Para Ice Hockey team is selected after a residency program featuring athletes from the men’s national team. Women are allowed to compete in the men’s game, although the United States has not selected any players for its national team.

Asked what was key in selecting the team, two-time U.S. Paralympic champion Jack Wallace said: “Chemistry and personality are an important factor.”

But if you are not there, it is difficult to show what you will bring to the team.

Canadian Raphael Tousignant is one of the few women to join a men’s national program, and in 2023, she becomes the first woman to be selected for the Men’s Para Ice Hockey World Championship.

When asked about the benefits of being on the men’s team, she said: “I don’t have to worry about getting money or doing fundraisers to get to the competition, that’s one thing.

“The other thing is they’re in the Paralympics and they have a world championship…they get paid to play their sport every month. I have an opportunity to get that because I play on the men’s team.”

Tousignant, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in October, was not selected for Milan Cortina.

The only woman who will compete is Japanese Akari Fukunishi, whose team will face Slovakia on Tuesday. Slovakia’s Michaela Hozakova entered but traveled separately to Milan, says she is “just a substitute” and was watching from the stands.

IOC President Andrew Parsons admitted that gender equality “is not happening fast enough” but added: “The trend is really clear… Once we can have a women’s para ice hockey tournament, that will go a long way in closing the gap.”

Women’s para ice hockey did not meet the eligibility criteria for the Paralympics, which require at least two world championships, sustained participation from at least eight countries, and representation from at least three regions.