Winter Paralympics: A daily guide – BBC Sport

The first medals of the Games in Cortina will be awarded to women and men Semi-alpine skiing Downhill events for all three categories – visually impaired, standing and sitting – at the Tuvan Alpine Ski Center.

In the visually impaired men’s event (09:50), Neil Simpson and his brother and mentor Andrew will be hoping to make a strong start to their busy program in what may not be their strongest event, despite having two podium finishes at the World Cup this season.

Fred Warburton and James Hannan are going to the same event in their first Paralympic Games.

Warburton is a former decathlon runner who was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition six years ago and only started his first race in February 2025.

– Blind race for women. The program starts at 08:30. This is not Mina Fitzpatrick directing Katie Guest’s best event, even though Fitzpatrick won a world title in 2019.

Fitzpatrick, Britain’s most decorated Winter Paralympian with six medals, has recovered from a broken leg and knee injury over the past 18 months to compete in Italy while Guest will make her first appearance at the Games after missing Beijing after testing positive for Covid.

Simpson, Warburton, Fitzpatrick and all of their competitors in the sixth categories will make their way onto the track following a guide relaying instructions via radio.

Canadian Molly Jepsen will defend her perennial women’s title, but it is the participation of one of her main rivals – Varvara Voronchikhina – that has sparked much discussion.

The 23-year-old is one of six Russians who will compete under their respective flags after the International Paralympic Committee lifted its ban on athletes from the two countries competing.

the Almost on ice The program starts at 10:00am with the snowboarders qualifying to determine the classification before the head-to-head elimination rounds on Sunday.

Athletes race on a specially designed track with features such as bends, pulleys and jumps. Each athlete has two rounds with the best determining their final ranking.

Scot Davey Zeo, who is believed to be the first snow athlete with motor neurone disease (MND) – a degenerative neurological condition – to ever compete at the Games, will compete in the men’s UL (Upper Extremity) event from 10:21.

Also taking part in the event is James Barnes-Miller, who is appearing in his third Games, while Ollie Hill takes part in the men’s LL2 (lower extremity) event starting at 11:03.

On the first day of Paralympic biathlon In events, Scott Minagh takes part in what may be his strongest event – ​​the over 7.5km sprint (09:35) – with high hopes of making the top five.

in Curling in a wheelchairthe mixed doubles action continues as Team GB takes on world champions Japan (13:35), which is also the opening day of the mixed team event.

Hugh Niblo, Karen Asby, Austin McKenzie, Graeme Stewart and Stuart Pimblett start for Team GB against Slovakia (08:35), who have just missed out on a medal at the last World Championships, before taking on the USA (17:35).

elsewhere, Paracini ice hockey The match begins with the two major teams – USA and Canada – facing off against Italy (16:05) and Slovakia (19:35).