The primary medals of the Video games might be awarded in Cortina with the ladies’s and males’s Para-Alpine snowboarding downhill occasions throughout all three classes – visually impaired, standing and sitting – on the Tofane Alpine Snowboarding Centre.
Within the males’s visually impaired competitors (09:50), Neil Simpson and his brother and information Andrew might be hoping to make a strong begin to their busy programme in what might be not their strongest occasion, although they’ve had a few World Cup podium finishes this season.
Fred Warburton and James Hannan go in the identical occasion at their first Paralympics.
Warburton is a former decathlete who was recognized with a degenerative eye situation six years in the past and solely made his first race begin in February 2025.
The ladies’s visually impaired race begins the programme at 08:30. This isn’t Menna Fitzpatrick and information Katie Visitor’s finest occasion, although Fitzpatrick received a world title again in 2019.
Fitzpatrick, who’s Britain’s most embellished Winter Paralympian with six medals, has recovered from a damaged leg and knee harm over the previous 18 months to compete in Italy whereas Visitor might be making her Video games debut after lacking Beijing following a constructive Covid take a look at.
Simpson, Warburton, Fitzpatrick and all of their rivals within the VI classes will make their means down the course following a information who communicates directions through radio.
Canada’s Mollie Jepsen will defend her girls’s standing title, however it’s the participation of one in all her principal rivals – Varvara Voronchikhina – that has led to loads of dialogue.
The 23-year-old is likely one of the six Russians who will compete below their nation’s flags after the Worldwide Paralympic Committee lifted its ban on athletes from the 2 nations competing.
The Para-snowboard programme kicks off from 10:00 with snowboard cross qualifying to resolve rankings earlier than Sunday’s head-to-head elimination rounds.
Athletes race down a specifically constructed course with options like banks, rollers and jumps. Every athlete has two runs with the very best deciding their closing rating.
Scotland’s Davy Zyw, who’s regarded as the primary snowsport athlete with motor neurone illness (MND) – a degenerative neurological situation – to ever compete on the Video games, will compete within the males’s UL (higher limb) occasion from 10:21.
Additionally within the occasion is James Barnes-Miller, who’s showing at his third Video games, whereas Ollie Hill goes within the males’s LL2 (decrease limb) from 11:03.
On day one of many Para-biathlon occasions, Scott Meenagh goes in what might be his strongest occasion – the seated dash over 7.5km (09:35) – with excessive hopes of a top-five end.
On the wheelchair curling, the combined doubles continues with GB going through world champions Japan (13:35), and it is also the opening day of the combined staff occasion.
GB’s Hugh Nibloe, Karen Aspey, Austin McKenzie, Graeme Stewart and Stewart Pimblett begin in opposition to Slovakia (08:35) who simply missed out on a medal on the final Worlds, earlier than taking over the USA (17:35).
Elsewhere, the Para-ice hockey will get below means with the massive two – USA and Canada – up in opposition to Italy (16:05) and Slovakia (19:35).
