President Sergio Mattarella officially opened the 2026 Winter Paralympics at the Verona Arena following a ceremony impacted by political disputes.The decision by the IPC to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to parade under their national flags triggered boycotts from Ukraine and Poland.Nearly 600 athletes from 55 nations are scheduled to compete in 79 medal events across Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo over the next nine days.Team USA leads a large delegation seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal in sled hockey as the competition officially runs through March 15.