MILANO CORTINA 2026 CLOSING CEREMONY SPEECH BY IPC PRESIDENT

President of the Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana,

President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee Giovanni Malago,

Paralympians,

Buona sera Italia, Ciao Cortina, grazie mille a tutti, avete reso il nostro tempo qui davvero speciale.

Here at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games, we celebrated that we are different.

Tonight, let us celebrate something even greater: how those differences brought us together and made us stronger.

These Paralympic Winter Games have been a record-breaking success.

The biggest and most beautiful Winter Paralympics with more athletes, more nations, more women and more global broadcast and digital coverage than ever before.

Thank you to the National Paralympic Committees and International Federations for helping us set new benchmarks for all future Games.

Thank you to OBS, OIS, Media Rights Holders and all Press for telling our stories to the world.

My sincere gratitude and thanks to every member of Team IPC.

Thank you to my good friends Giovanni Malago and Andrea Varnier and the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee for years of preparations and partnership.

Thank you to IOC and all marketing partners.

E a tutti i fantastici volontari. Con i vostri occhi a forma di cuore, i vostri sorrisi, la vostra energia e gentilezza, avete accolto il mondo intero qui in Italia e supportato atleti, giudici di gara e spettatori.

From the fashion capital Milan, to the magnificent alpine peaks of Val di Fiemme and Cortina d’Ampezzo, we witnessed extraordinary sporting moments that did more than win medals; they won hearts, changed attitudes and challenged assumptions.

To the record 611 athletes who competed here, you reminded the world that ability is not defined by limitation, but by determination, courage and the pursuit of excellence.

These Games offered something powerful and refreshing: proof that sport can unite us through respect, fairness and human achievement.

Paralympians, you rose above pressure, expectation and global tension to keep the focus where it belongs: on you and your sport.

You expanded the imagination of the world. You have shown that excellence is universal and that determination knows no boundaries.

Every race and every match told a story; a story of resilience and a story of possibility. A story that will inspire long after these Games close.

Change Starts with Sport and the true power of these Games goes far beyond competition.

The Milano Cortina 2026 legacy is already taking shape. Investment in accessibility and infrastructure will benefit generations to come.

These are not simply upgrades to infrastructure. They are statements about the kind of society we want to build—one where mobility, independence and opportunity belong to everyone.

Ringrazio il governo italiano, le autorità regionali e comunali per aver investito in un futuro più inclusivo.

I hope Italy’s commitments serve as encouragement to other nations to create accessible infrastructure and opportunities for youngsters to participate in Para winter sports.

Yet, perhaps the greatest legacy of these Games is the shift in perception created by Paralympians.

When the world watched a skier launch down a mountain, or a Para ice hockey team battle on the ice, something changed.

Old stereotypes faded. New possibilities appeared.

Children with disabilities saw role models who look like them in fierce competition at the highest level of sport.

Families, teachers, and communities now see ability where once they saw only disability.

This is the true legacy of the Paralympic Movement.

As the Paralympic flame is extinguished, the spirit it represents does not fade. It travels home with every athlete, every spectator, and every viewer, every one of them watching tonight inspired by these remarkable days.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games have not only celebrated sport — they reminded us that when we focus on human potential, sport can unite and empower us in ways few other things can.

And that legacy will shine far brighter, and last far longer, than any flame.

Before we close, I want to say one final thank you.

Grazie al popolo italiano. La vostra passione, la vostra generosità e il vostro tiramisù hanno reso questi Giochi indimenticabili. Grazie a tutti.

Sadly, the time has come for me to declare the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games closed.

I call upon Paralympic athletes from all over the world to meet again in the French Alps in four years’ time when, once again, Paralympic sport will transform the world.

Grazie millie.

Thank you very much!

Muito obrigado!