Chiara Mazzel wins silver at Paralympics as Italian minister Abodi dreams of 2040 Rome Olympics

Italian alpine skier Chiara Mazzel won a silver medal in the visually impaired giant slalom on March 12, 2026, at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. The athlete, competing with a guide, stood on the podium on the same day women in the standing and sitting classes also competed for medals in the same discipline. This success is part of the ongoing Paralympic competitions that began on March 6, inaugurated by an opening ceremony in the historic Arena di Verona. For the host nation's team, this is another medal won on the ski slopes during this year's Games.

Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi declared that the government's primary goal is to completely eliminate differences in the perception and treatment of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The politician emphasized that both events should have identical social significance and impact on the country's infrastructure and sports culture. „L'obiettivo è abbattere la differenza tra Olimpiadi e Paralimpiadi” (The goal is to break down the difference between the Olympics and Paralympics) — Andrea Abodi via ANSA According to the minister, integrating these two worlds constitutes a historic challenge currently facing Italian sport and public administration.

The organizational success of the ongoing winter event has fueled Italy's ambitions to host the Summer Games in the future, which Andrea Abodi described as a dream of Rome's candidacy for 2040. The minister informed that 6-7 Italian regions have already expressed interest in hosting the world's largest sporting event, demonstrating growing enthusiasm following the successes in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Italy is hosting the Winter Games for the third time in history, after Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956 and Turin in 2006. However, this year's edition is the first where two major cities and regions (Lombardy and Veneto) are co-hosts. The Paralympic opening ceremony took place on March 6, 2026, with the closing ceremony scheduled for March 15.

7 (regions) — number of Italian administrative units interested in hosting the Summer Games

2026 Winter Paralympic Games: March 6 — Opening Ceremony; March 12 — Chiara Mazzel's Silver; March 15 — Closing Ceremony

Giant Slalom results (Vision Impaired) - March 12, 2026: 2. Chiara Mazzel — Silver medal