Nagano 1998-Milano Cortina 2026: Paralympic Winter Games torch photo gallery

With less than a year to go until Milano Cortina 2026, the torch for the Paralympic Winter Games was unveiled, marking a major milestone on the road to the 10-day spectacle. A total of 501 torchbearers will carry the Paralympic Flame across a 2,000-kilometre journey ahead of the Opening Ceremony on 6 March 2026.

Each edition of the Games has a unique torch. And now is the perfect time to discover more about the Milano Cortina 2026 torch and also look back at some of the torches from the past Paralympic Winter Games. Do you have a favourite?

 

Milano Cortina 2026

The torches of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic and Olympic Games have been named "Essential" to highlight their minimalistic design. The torches come in different colours - bronze for the Paralympic Winter Games and blue for the Olympics. The Paralympic torch glows with Mountains of Light, honouring the inner strength of Paralympic athletes and the power of their courage to reshape the world.

The torches symbolise innovation, design and sustainability. Weighing 1,060 grams, the torches are made mostly of recycled materials and can be reused up to 10 times, significantly reducing the number of torches required for the relays. 

The Paralympic Flame will be lit at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium on 24 February 2026. Once in Italy, the Paralympic Torch Relay will cover 2,000 kilometres in 11 days, and from 24 February 2026 to 6 March 2026, the day of the Opening Ceremony at the Arena di Verona.

 

 

 

Beijing 2022

The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games were a huge celebration of winter Para sports and the Paralympic torch represented just that. The design of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic torch, named 'Flying', was inspired by two overlapping ribbons spiraling upward.

The colour scheme of gold and silver symbolises 'glory and dreams' and reflects values of 'determination, equality, inspiration and courage'. The two-tone torch presented a metaphor of ice and fire, symbolising how it will bring light and warmth to the celebration of winter Para sports.

More than 500 torchbearers took part in the torch relay, which made stops in Beijing, Yangqing and Zhangjiakou competition zones, before the Paralympic cauldron was lit during the stunning Opening Ceremony on 4 March 2022. 

 

 

 

 

PyeongChang 2018

The PyeongChang 2018 torch was 700mm in length, representing the altitude of PyeongChang, which is 700 meters above sea level. The white torch was designed to withstand the freezing winter weather in the Republic of Korea, with the flame able to keep burning even in strong wind and heavy snow. Four values - courage, determination, inspiration and equality - and the PyeongChang 2018 motto “Passion. Connected” was also engraved in Braille in both Korean and English.

The Paralympic Flame was lit on 2 March 2018, a week before the Opening Ceremony. Eight hundred torchbearers participated in the torch relay, which covered eight cities in the host country.

 

 

 

 

Sochi 2014

Sochi 2014 marked the first time the Heritage Flame was lit in Stoke Mandeville, UK, the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. The ceremony at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury celebrated the history of the Paralympic Games before more than 1,000 torchbearers carried the Paralympic torch before the flame made its entrance for the Opening Ceremony on 7 March.

The unique shape of the torch drew inspiration from a feather of the phoenix, a firebird that represents good fortune and happiness in Russian folklore. The torch’s weight and centre of gravity were carefully calculated so as to make the torch as comfortable as possible for torchbearers to carry while running.

The Paralympic Winter Games saw 541 Para athletes from 45 countries compete in 72 medal events across five sports. Para snowboard made its Paralympic debut as part of the alpine skiing program. 
 

 

 

 

Vancouver 2010

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, which took place from 12-21 March 2010, brought together more than 500 Para athletes from 44 National Paralympic Committees. 

Ahead of the Opening Ceremony on 12 March, more than 600 torchbearers carried the flame during the relay in the host country.  The torch visited 11 communities across Canada in 10 days, leading to a 24-hour long circular relay through downtown Vancouver before the Paralympic Cauldron was lit at BC Place.

 

 

 

Torino 2006

Next year, the Paralympic Winter Games will return to Italy for the first time since Torino 2006, which saw 474 Para athletes compete in 58 medal events across five sports. In Turin, the debut of wheelchair curling attracted large crowds, with Canada winning the inaugural event. 

The blue torch was carried by 126 people, all the way from Verbania to Torino. The Opening Ceremony had an audience of about 25,000 people and was broadcast live to millions of viewers around the globe. 
 

 

 

 

Salt Lake City 2002

The Paralympic flame of the Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympic Winter Games was carried by 100 runners in Utah, USA, and made stops in places including the All Abilities Play Park at Liberty Park and Shriner’s Hospital before reaching Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony. 

Eric Weihenmeyer, the first blind man to successfully climb Mt. Everest, carried the Paralympic torch during the Opening Ceremony, which was based on the theme “Awaken the Mind - Free the Body - Inspire the Spirit”. With his guide dog, he passed the flame to US sit-skiers Muffy Davis and Chris Waddell, who lit the Paralympic cauldron together. 
 

 

 

 

Nagano 1998

Nagano 1998, which took place in Japan from 5-14 March 1998, was the first-ever Paralympic Winter Games held outside of Europe. A total of 754 participants carried a torch over a distance of 118.1 kilometres before the cauldron was lit during the Opening Ceremony.

The theme of the Opening Ceremony was "hope" because the Nagano Games marked the first Paralympic Winter Games in Asia and the last in the 20th century. The Games featured 562 Para athletes from 31 countries competing in five sports - Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey and ice sledge speed skating.

 

 

 

 

Tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games are on sale at tickets.milanocortina2026.org.

Approximately 89 per cent of the tickets for the Games, which feature six sports, cost EUR 35 or less. Please visit the Milano Cortina 2026 website for more information.