More countries, bigger audience but controversy lingered in Milano Cortina

"Milano Cortina has had the most countries in competition, 55, and the most to win medals, 27. The number of countries winning gold medals, 18, is the joint-highest in history. Although gender imbalance remains a genuine problem, there were more female competitors than ever before, 160, an 18% increase on four years ago and 26% of the total athlete count of 611, another record."

"The crowds for the para ice hockey tournament have been the biggest in the history of the sport while the slopes of Cortina have been busy throughout. People in 126 countries were able to watch the games free to air on television, but figures from YouTube have been astronomical. With every event streamed live on the Paralympics channel, there have been some 414m views of video content on the platform, a total 67% higher than the entirety of 2024."

"One further striking statistic is that no world records have been broken at these Games. This in part is a reflection of the conditions, which were often suboptimal even when snow did arrive in Cortina on the final day. But it also speaks to a high level of competition across the piece."

The Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics closing ceremony featured the theme Italian Souvenir, celebrating a young girl's dreams through dance and music as metaphor for the Paralympic movement's broader aspirations. The Games achieved historic milestones on their 50th anniversary: 55 competing countries, 27 medal-winning nations, and 18 countries winning gold medals, matching the joint-highest record. Female participation reached 160 athletes, representing 26% of 611 total competitors—an 18% increase from four years prior. Audience engagement surged dramatically, with para ice hockey drawing record crowds and YouTube streaming generating 414 million views, 67% higher than all of 2024. The absence of world records reflects both suboptimal conditions and intensely competitive performances across all events.

Read at www.theguardian.com