Ukraine Competes in Two Key Relay Events on March 14 at 2026 Winter Paralympics

Competition Day at the Winter Paralympics

According to Главком: The seventh day of competition at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo took place on March 14. The Ukrainian team is participating in two para Nordic skiing relay events: the mixed relay and the open relay. All events for the day are scheduled to conclude by 6:00 PM Kyiv time.

Ukraine enters the mixed relay as the reigning world champions from 2025. The team is also competing in the open relay, where they are the defending Paralympic champions. So far at the 2026 Games, Ukrainian athletes have not yet won a medal in para Nordic skiing events.

One incident that sparked discussion involved the family of a Ukrainian athlete being forced to remove national symbols within the Paralympic venue.

"The family of the Ukrainian champion came from Ternopil, bought tickets, entered the stadium with a Ukrainian flag and wearing Ukrainian clothing. They were stopped, the flag was taken, and a scarf with a Ukrainian ornament was taken from the champion's mother. And after they were, excuse me, stripped, they were allowed onto the stadium grounds."

- Valeriy Sushkevych, President of the National Sports Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine. This incident highlights the complex intersection of sport, politics, and national identity at major international events.

Competition Schedule for March 14

The schedule of events for March 14 includes several disciplines:

• 10:00 - Para Alpine Skiing - Women's Slalom for athletes with visual and physical impairments;
• 11:00 - Mixed Relay in para Nordic skiing;
• 12:15 - Open Relay in para Nordic skiing;
• 13:05 - Seventh-place match in para ice hockey between Slovakia and Japan;
• 14:00 - Second run of the Slalom;
• 16:05 - Gold medal match in Wheelchair Curling between China and Canada;
• 17:05 - Fifth-place match in para ice hockey between Italy and Germany.

The Ukrainian performances on March 14 represent a crucial stage in the team's quest for medals at the Winter Paralympics, as they strive to reach new heights and demonstrate their capabilities on the international stage. The day holds significant importance for the Ukrainian Paralympians as they aim to improve their results following a lack of medals in earlier competitions. The issue of national symbolism has also resonated publicly, underscoring the importance of patriotism in the context of international sport and potentially influencing future organizer policies regarding athlete and family participation at such major events.