VAL DI FEMME, ITALY – Athletes from around the world have gathered in Val di Fiemme as Para Nordic skiing begins at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, where Team USA arrives with one of its deepest rosters in recent Paralympic cycles.

The field includes many of the sport’s top international competitors, several of whom have raced regularly on the Val di Fiemme trails during World Cup seasons. The Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium and surrounding trail network, longtime hosts of Nordic World Championships and World Cup races, are familiar terrain for many Paralympic athletes.

This year’s conditions have added an unusual wrinkle, with packed morning tracks giving way to softer afternoon snow as temperatures climb. Early March afternoons in the valley have pushed into the 60s, bringing springlike warmth to the region. Those changing snow conditions could make waxing decisions and pacing critical as races unfold.

About Nordic Skiing

Para Nordic skiing includes two main disciplines: cross-country skiing and biathlon. Cross-country races range from short sprint heats to longer interval-start distance competitions, while biathlon events combine skiing with rifle shooting at targets along the course. Because athletes with different impairments compete within each classification group, results are adjusted using a percentage factor system that modifies finish times to ensure fair competition.

Team USA

Leading the lineup is Oksana Masters, one of the most accomplished athletes in Paralympic winter sport. Masters enters the Games after leading the women’s sitting World Cup standings in both cross-country skiing and biathlon during the 2025–26 season.

A multi-sport Paralympian who also competes at the Summer Games, Masters returns to the snow after another cycle that included Paris 2024. At the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, she won two biathlon gold medals and added cross-country gold in the mixed relay along with silver medals in both middle- and long-distance races.

Masters is not the only American capable of contending in the sitting races. Kendall Gretsch gives the United States another major contender in the women’s sitting division. A Paralympic champion in both winter sport and paratriathlon, Gretsch has continued to compete at the front of international competition.

At the 2025 World Championships, she won three biathlon world titles and added podium finishes in cross-country races.

The men’s sitting field is packed with experience as well. The group is led by Daniel Cnossen, a three-time Paralympian with seven Paralympic medals to his name. His results include biathlon gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Games and mixed relay gold at the Beijing Paralympics.

A seven-time Paralympian across summer and winter sports, Aaron Pike captured the men’s sitting biathlon sprint title at last year’s World Championships and bronze in the individual race.

Josh Sweeney rounds out the veteran presence in the men’s sitting field. A former Paralympic sled hockey champion, Sweeney has increasingly focused on biathlon while continuing to build results on the World Cup circuit.

Sydney Peterson enters Milano Cortina after a breakout Paralympic debut in Beijing. She won three medals there, including gold as part of the U.S. mixed relay team in the standing classification.

Joining Peterson in the standing classification, Dani Aravich adds another dimension to the U.S. lineup. After competing in track and field at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, she transitioned to Nordic skiing and later helped the United States win relay gold at the 2023 World Championships.

Jake Adicoff, alongside guide Peter Wolter, leads the U.S. effort in the visually impaired category. A four-time Paralympic medalist, Adicoff won mixed relay gold and two individual silver medals at the Beijing Paralympics and remains one of the United States’ strongest contenders in distance and sprint races.

The roster also includes younger athletes beginning their Paralympic careers. Jack Berry will compete in his first Games after progressing through the development pipeline and gaining international racing experience during the past season.

Teams to Watch

Traditional Nordic powers from Europe, including Norway, Germany and Ukraine, along with contenders from Canada and Asia, have consistently challenged for podium spots in recent Paralympic cycles. On the demanding trails of Val di Fiemme, that depth sets the stage for one of the most competitive Para Nordic programs of the Games and opportunities for Team USA to contend.