One year out from Milano Cortina 2026, Canada primed for more Paralympic Winter Games success

Many of Canada’s biggest stars at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games appear on track to make their mark once again at Milano Cortina 2026, opening one year from today.

Those big names include Mark Arendz (Hartsville, PEI) and Natalie Wilkie (Salmon Arm, B.C.) in Para nordic skiing; Alexis Guimond (Gatineau, Que.) in Para alpine skiing; Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) and Liam Hickey (St. John’s N.L.) in Para ice hockey; Tyler Turner (Campbell River, B.C.) in Para snowboard; and Jon Thurston (Dunsford, Ont.), Mark Ideson (London, Ont.) and Ina Forrest (Spallumcheen, B.C.) in wheelchair curling.

There’s also a cast of new stars emerging, including Derek Zaplotinsky (Smoky Lake, Alta.) in Para nordic skiing; Michaela Gosselin (Collingwood, Ont.) and the Kalle Ericsson (Kimberley, B.C.)/Sierra Smith (Ottawa) tandem in Para alpine skiing; and Gil Dash (Wolseley, Sask.) in wheelchair curling and Vincent Boily (Alma, Que.) in Para ice hockey.

Canada won 25 medals at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beiing (8 gold – 6 silver – 11 bronze) for third overall and it’s second best ever performance after a 28 medal performance in 2018.

This year, Canadian athletes have been busy with world championships, World Cups, and other events, with more still to come. Below is a look at the 2024-25 seasons for each sport:

Para nordic skiing (Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing)

Mark Arendz and Natalie Wilkie are the big stars on the Canadian Para nordic team, now being led by retired Paralympic legend Brian McKeever as head coach. The pair bring plenty of experience with four and two Games appearances each, and 12 and seven medals respectively. They have not slowed down one iota since Beijing.

At the Para biathlon world championships last month in Slovenia, both racers collected two gold medals. Arendz took the men’s standing 7.5 kilometre and 12.5 kilometre races and Wilkie achieved the same in the women’s standing category.

Zaplotinsky, a national team veteran, has emerged as a medal threat since Beijing in the men’s sitting classification and took silver in the 12.5 kilometres in Slovenia.

At the Para cross country worlds, Wilkie added two silver and Arendz a bronze. And just on Wednesday, Wilkie was second in the one kilometre sprint in a thrilling inaugural Para race at the Nordic World Championships in Norway.

Multiple Paralympic Games medallists Collin Cameron of Sudbury, Ont. and Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask. hope to return to top form for next season after some injury issues.

Para alpine skiing

Paralympic medallists Mac Marcoux and Alana Ramsay both retired after the Beijing Games but without missing a beat, Kalle Ericsson and Michaela Gosselin have filled the gap.

Ericsson and his guide Sierra Smith, a former women’s national team member, produced a breakthrough season last winter and have continued their success in 2024-25, capped by silver medals in the men’s visually impaired slalom and giant slalom at last month’s world championships, also in Slovenia.

Gosselin, the daughter of former national team member Kevin Gosselin, saw her best events, downhill and Super-G, cancelled at worlds after a strong World Cup season which included two downhill victories and seven podiums overall in the women’s standing category.

Alexis Guimond, a two-time Paralympic medallist, continued to shine this season capped by a silver in the men’s standing giant slalom at worlds.

And at 41-years-old sit skier Kurt Oatway of Calgary has collected nine World Cup medals this season including three victories.

Para snowboard

Tyler Turner leads Canada’s Para snowboarders currently competing at the world championships at Big White Ski Resort in B.C, running March 4-10.

At Beijing 2022, Turner became Canada’s first ever Paralympic gold medallist in the sport with a victory in the men’s LL1 snowboard cross. His success has continued through this season, winning the snowboard cross World Cup overall title with a needed victory on the last race of the season on the circuit.

In Big White, Turner is joined by Paralympians Alex Massie and Sandrine Hamel as well as newcomers Chase Nicklin and Philippe Nadreau.

Para ice hockey

Canada ended a seven-year gold medal drought at the world championships last May in Calgary defeating its archrival USA in the final 2-1.

The two countries have continued to wage epic battles in tournaments since and appear on a collision course once again in the Paralympic Winter Games in March 2026.

The Canadian team ices some of the greatest players in the world led by captain Tyler McGregor, Liam Hickey and Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, Ont.) up front and Tyrone Henry (Ottawa) and Rob Armstrong (Erin, Ont.) on defence.

The upcoming world championships, set for May 24-31 in Buffalo, are a Paralympic Games qualifier with the top five countries earning an automatic spot.

Wheelchair curling

Like their Para snowboard counterparts, Canada’s top wheelchair curlers are currently at their world championships in Stevenston, Scotland. Those worlds are the last event to earn points for Games qualification.

Canada is assured a spot in the team event regardless of its results in Scotland, running through till Saturday. A strong performance will be needed though in mixed doubles next week, taking place March 11-16, to secure a berth for Milano Cortina. Mixed doubles will be included in the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time in 2026.

Multiple Paralympic medallists Ideson and Forrest (three and four-time Paralympians) have been assigned to the mixed doubles to secure that spot.

In the team event, Canada has earned silver at three of the last four worlds and won bronze in Beijing, continuing a streak of medaling at every Games since the sport was added to the Paralympic program in 2006.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will take place March 6-15, 2026.