Emanuel Perathoner Secures Italy’s First Gold at Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympics
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – March 8, 2026 – Emanuel Perathoner has delivered Italy’s first gold medal of the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, triumphing in the men’s snowboard cross SB-LL2 event. He finished ahead of Australia’s Ben Tudhope and South Korea’s Lee Jehyuk on the Cortina D’Ampezzo track.
Perathoner’s Journey to Gold
Perathoner’s victory marks a remarkable comeback for the 39-year-old snowboarder. Prior to transitioning to para snowboarding, he competed in snowboardcross, debuting in the World Cup in 2003. In January 2021, he suffered a severe knee injury, fracturing his tibial plateau, requiring four surgeries and a total knee replacement. Following 18 months of rehabilitation, he transitioned to para snowboarding in 2022, quickly achieving success with nine wins in ten World Cup competitions this season. Olympics.com
A History of Resilience
This isn’t Perathoner’s first experience with the Paralympic Games. He previously competed at the Sochi 2014 Olympics, facing challenges including a concussion, wrist injury, and a collision with a teammate that resulted in fractured ribs. YouTube
Italian Performances on March 8th
Beyond Perathoner’s gold, Italy saw mixed results on March 8th. In biathlon, Cristian Toninelli had six errors in the individual standing event, while Marco Pisani finished 13th in the sitting event. The Italian curling team was defeated by China 3-5. GazetteXtra
Previous Italian Medals
Prior to today’s success, Italy had already secured medals at the Games: silver for Chiara Mazzel in the AS2 downhill for visually impaired athletes and bronze for Giacomo Bertagnolli in the AS3 downhill for visually impaired athletes. YouTube
Other Events on March 8th
In curling’s Mixed Doubles, the Italian pair of Orietta Bertò and Paolo Ioriatti lost 9-4 to Latvia. The Italian hockey team was defeated by the United States 14-1. YouTube
Opening Ceremony and Participation
The Paralympic Games were inaugurated on Friday with a ceremony in Verona, attended by President Mattarella, Prime Minister Meloni, and the presidents of the Chambers. While 55 nations were participating, only 29 paraded with their athletes, with seven nations absent due to the presence of Russia and Belarus. YouTube