Team USA Wins 4 Paralympic Medals in Final Snowboard Event

Team USA turned the final day of Para snowboard competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics into a four-medal celebration under sunny Italian skies.

Kate Delson won gold in her first Paralympic Games, dominating the women's Lower Limb banked slalom after earning silver in snowboard cross earlier in the competition. Standing beside her on the podium was her roommate, role model, and friend Brenna Huckaby, who took home bronze in what marks her fifth career Paralympic medal.

"I'm just so happy we get to share this moment with someone who I've literally been watching and has been my role model," said Delson. The two athletes have built a friendship that spans generations in the sport, with Huckaby welcoming the next wave of competitors pushing her to excel.

Huckaby, competing without a knee, brought her signature technical precision to the course. "I have to execute because this girl came out of nowhere and has just been crushing us and it's awesome," Huckaby said about Delson. "We were waiting for the next generation and now she's here."

In the men's competition, Noah Elliott claimed his second Paralympic gold in banked slalom, earning the title "King of Banked Slalom." The victory came after he captured silver in snowboard cross, marking a powerful comeback from injury challenges that kept him off the podium in 2022.

Mike Schultz earned bronze in his final Paralympic race ever, bringing his career medal total to four. As the engineer behind the prosthetic legs that nearly all amputee snowboarders use to compete, Schultz leaves behind a legacy that extends far beyond his own performances.

"Coming home with the bronze medal is the most incredible feeling, especially when this was the last race in my snowboard career," said Schultz. He and Elliott have now shared three Paralympic podiums together, bookending Schultz's competitive career with friendship and mutual respect.

Why This Inspires

The connection between these athletes shows how competition and compassion can coexist beautifully. Delson and Huckaby celebrated each other's success with genuine joy, while Elliott called standing beside Schultz "so proud" as he sent his mentor into retirement. Joe Pleban even competed with a broken wrist in a cast, showing the determination that defines this team.

Their combined six medals across both snowboard events proved that American Para snowboarding has both established champions and rising stars ready to inspire the world.