If you’re missing your winter sports fix after the Olympics, do not despair: the Paralympics starts on Friday. We break down key talking points and how to watch from Germany.
People around the world were glued to their screens for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and its weird and wonderful moments, including accusations of penis acid injections, a cheating biathlete and a dog chasing cross-country skiers down the slope.
But do not worry, there are more winter games, and no doubt more dramatic moments, on the horizon as the Paralympics gets underway.
From Friday, March 6th to Sunday, March 15th, athletes will take over venues across Milan and northern Italy.
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What to know about team Germany
Germany came fifth in the medals table of the Olympics, with athletes taking home eight gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals.
They were notably on form on the the luge, skeleton and bobsleigh, with competitors picking up nearly three quarters of the medals in the Cortina Sliding Centre.
Look out for Germany’s Para hockey team at the Milano Santagiulia Arena – Germany will compete in this category for the second time in history, and it comes 20 years after the team’s first appearance at the 2006 Games, also held in Italy.
You can also expect German athletes in the Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing and Para snowboard competitions.
Andrea Eskau, German para-athlete, during an the outfitting for Team Germany Paralympics. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Martin Schutt
Opening ceremony boycott
One thing to note is that the German team – along with a few other nations – is boycotting the event’s Opening Ceremony on March 6th in support of Ukraine, as Russia and Belarus are being allowed to participate and fly their flags at the event.
“Against this backdrop, we have jointly decided that Team Germany Paralympics will not participate in the parade of nations during the opening ceremony in Verona,” the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) said in a press statement.
The decision serves “both to focus on the upcoming competitions and to respectfully express solidarity with the Ukrainian delegation”, the DBS said.
An International Paralympic Committee (IPC) official told AFP last Friday that the decision to allow Russia and Belarus to take part in the Games was the result of a “democratic vote” by IPC members.
How can I watch the Games in Germany?
Public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will be providing extensive, free‑to‑air coverage throughout the competition.
Check out the ZDF Livestream and the ARD Livestream for all the action from Northern Italy.
You can find more coverage, highlights and interviews on paid alternatives such as Eurosport, Discovery+, DAZN and HBO Max.
Check out the official events calendar for the full schedule, while Sportschau also provides a handy update of all events.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
