ParalympicsGB achieves new milestones at Milano Cortina 2026

ParalympicsGB rounded off Milano Cortina 2026 with a number of notable milestones to complete a memorable Paralympic Winter Games.

Neil Simpson and guide Rob Poth won a silver medal in the Super Combined and the Scot’s podium finish meant he now has a total of three medals, gold, silver and bronze, won across Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026.

On the final day of competition in the men’s slalom Neil and Rob recorded a disappointing DNF in challenging conditions whilst aiming for a podium finish after heavy snow overnight. Teenagers Sam Cozens and Dom Allen also raced showing there is a bright future for British Para Alpine Skiing.

The Games saw ParalympicsGB achieve a number of milestones to further enhance its proud history:

• Neil Simpson (along with guide Rob Poth) won a silver medal and is ParalympicsGB’s most successful male Winter Paralympian.
• Nina Sparks is a trailblazer as the first ever female to represent ParalympicsGB in Para Snowboard.
• Para Snowboarder Davy Zyw also made history as the first athlete diagnosed with MND to compete at a Paralympic Winter Games.
• No fewer than 17 athletes made their Paralympic debuts with three of them teenagers (Dom Allen, Sam Cozens and Hester Poole).
• Jo Butterfield and Jason Kean competed in the new discipline of Mixed Doubles Wheelchair Curling and narrowly missed out on a semi-final place losing on the final stone of an extra end.
• Scott Meenagh, James Barnes-Miller, Menna Fitzpatrick and Hugh Nibloe competed at their third Paralympic Winter Games.

Phil Smith, ParalympicsGB’s Chef de Mission at Milano Cortina 2026 said:

“The silver medal winning performance of Neil and Rob in the Super Combined was the stand out performance for the team but that only tells half the story of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.  We have had so many notable milestones with Nina Sparks becoming our first female Para Snowboarder, the incredible story of human resilience embodied by Davy Zyw and no fewer than 17 Paralympic debuts.

“Competition has just ended and there is so much we need to reflect on both in terms of the positive results we have seen but also the near misses. That is the nature of high-performance sport where results are decided by the finest of margins particularly when you add in the jeopardy of snow and ice.

“I am immensely proud of this ParalympicsGB team of athletes and support staff who have worked so hard to compete at the pinnacle of their sport, whilst once again demonstrating the unique power of the Paralympics to celebrate the very best of humanity.”

It is not only on the field of play ParalympicsGB can make a difference, as we run programmes throughout the UK aiming to improving the experience and increasing the take up of physical activity and sport by disabled people while also breaking down barriers and challenging perceptions in everyday life.

Milano Cortina 2026 put our Equal Play campaign firmly back in the spotlight, with the ParalympicsGB class of 2026 calling for a new school curriculum that makes inclusive PE a priority.

The Games were also an opportunity to promote Every Body Moves powered by Toyota, ParalympicsGB’s programme empowering disabled people to find inclusive physical activities that are right for them, which was promoted daily during Channel 4’s coverage of Milano Cortina 2026.

Get Set for Milan reached tens of thousands of school children and uses the inspiration of the Games to drive an increase in physical activity within schools.

Looking to the future we also have a campaign to unearth new talent across a range of winter sports with three Discover Your Paralympic Potential events planned in April and May focussed on Para Nordic skiing, Para alpine skiing, Para snowboarding and wheelchair curling.