The inaugural ceremony in Verona under the eyes of Mattarella and Giorgia Meloni. Only 29 out of 55 nations marched
The starry sky of Verona welcomed the wonderful stage of the Arena the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympics opened by president Sergio Mattarella present at the event alongside the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Reduced numbers and diplomatic controversies, but also magnificent scenography. Of the 55 participating nations, only 29 marched with their athletes on the red carpet of the Arena, with volunteers instead of flag bearers. The organizing committee wanted to justify the many absences with the athletes’ commitments on competition fields far from Verona but there are political reasons behind the boycott. Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine chose not to participate in the parade to protest against the decision to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes with anthems and flags. Added to these was the forced absence of Iran’s only athlete, Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei, unable to reach Italy due to tensions in the Middle East.
The audience
The Arena audience attended the show without getting drawn into political issues. no whistles of disapproval were raised when the representatives of Belarus, Russia, Israel and the United States. Warm applause instead accompanied many delegations, with an ovation for Italy and particularly intense applause for Ukraine. The show was exciting: moments of very high artistic value under the theme “Life in Motion”. The Unesco monument vibrated thanks to the drum duet between Stewart Copeland and Cornell Hrisca Munn and at the screenings of the work ‘Circulatory Apparatus’ by the artist Jago. The parade, accompanied by the rhythms of the Meduza, saw the volunteers carry the flags of the absent nations, while the short films recorded by the athletes remaining in the villages played on the big screen. Music, plays of light, choreographies that had a very specific meaning: to make people reflect on the concept of limit. Limits are there to be broken and that is why the Paralympic movement is constantly growing.
The Olympic flame
The most awaited moment was the entry of the Olympic flame into the Arena. Was Bebe Vio, global icon of the movement, the last torchbearer who brought the sacred fire to the Arena for the official start of a competition that from tomorrow will see athletes engaged in six disciplines between Milan, Cortina and the Alpine valleys of Tesero. “Movement is energy that unites”, was the message launched from the stage, and which breaks down barriers.
The message
“My name is Michaela Benthaus. I am a space engineer and last December I had the opportunity to fly into space as the first wheelchair user in history. Part of that mission was, of course, about engineering: finding solutions to open up human spaceflight to all of us. But making human spaceflight accessible isn’t just about tackling technical challenges. It’s about our way of thinking. It’s about who we think belongs in the space. I knew that if I went to space people wouldn’t just see a spacecraft or a mission emblem. They would see a person in a wheelchair in a place where people like us had never been before. And that visibility mattered a lot to me. As a space engineer I know that the laws of physics explain why we fall and how we fly. But they cannot explain the force that drives us forward. All of us here today have a dream. Mine is to fly back to space and continue the work I started. For many of you, being here this evening is already a dream come true. And I think you all dream of bringing home a medal. These dreams are different, but in their essence they are the same. We all want to be seen for our achievements and our potential, not our disabilities. I’m proud to be here with you this evening and I can’t wait to see how far your dreams will take you. Good luck!”
