Italian Skier Wins Gold on Home Slopes at 2026 Paralympics

Giacomo Bertagnolli made a promise before the men's vision-impaired alpine combined race at the 2026 Winter Paralympics: he would be "a lion on the podium." Racing on home snow in Italy, the defending champion delivered exactly that.

The March 10 race was one of the closest competitions at Milano Cortina 2026. Four skiers finished within a second of each other after the super-G leg, with Bertagnolli and his guide Andrea Ravelli holding just a 0.20-second lead heading into the slalom.

But the Italian duo stayed cool under pressure. They held their lead through the second run, crossing the finish line to claim Bertagnolli's fifth Paralympic gold medal.

"It's incredible. This gold medal is something that I can't describe," Bertagnolli told reporters. "It's so cool to have a gold medal now here in Italy, something that I was dreaming of."

Great Britain's Neil Simpson and guide Rob Poth had finished fourth in two earlier races. They powered through the slalom to claim silver, just 0.65 seconds behind the Italians. Austria's Johannes Aigner and guide Nico Haberl took bronze, edging out Canada by a razor-thin 0.05 seconds.

The women's race brought another heartwarming story. Austria's Veronika Aigner won gold with her guide Lilly Sammer, despite the pair being a last-minute pairing. Aigner's original guide, her sister Elisabeth, was injured in February.

Aigner and Sammer had just one slalom training session together before the Paralympics. The 23-year-old admitted she "hates slalom" but somehow set the fastest time in that leg to secure her second gold of these Games.

"It's the best plan B!" Aigner said about their partnership.

Italy's Chiara Mazzel took silver, while Austria's Elina Stary claimed her first Paralympic medal at age 19. Four years earlier at Beijing 2022, she had narrowly missed the podium by one spot at just 15 years old.

Why This Inspires

These athletes show what's possible when determination meets opportunity. Bertagnolli trained for four years to achieve his dream of winning gold on home soil. Simpson turned two fourth-place finishes into motivation to push harder. Aigner and Sammer proved that with the right attitude, even a last-minute change can lead to golden results.

And for young Elina Stary, patience and perseverance finally paid off. After coming so close four years ago and even crashing in an earlier race at these Games, she earned the medal she deserved.

The Para Alpine competition continues through March 13 in Italy.