CORTINA, ITALY – Para snowboard is a Winter Paralympic discipline in which athletes with physical impairments compete on snowboard cross or banked slalom courses using adapted equipment such as prosthetic limbs or orthopaedic supports. At the Paralympic Winter Games, riders compete in snowboard cross (SBX), a head-to-head race featuring jumps, rollers and banked turn; and banked slalom (BSL), a timed race through a series of steep turns.

Athletes are grouped into classification categories based on the type and severity of impairment, including SB-LL1, SB-LL2, and SB-UL, ensuring fair competition among riders with comparable functional ability.

At the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, the United States again fields a strong para snowboard program through U.S. Ski & Snowboard, highlighted by experienced athletes such as Brenna Huckaby, Noah Elliott, Mike Schultz, Keith Gabel, Joe Pleban, and Kate Delson. Many of these riders entered the Games as medal contenders in both snowboard cross and banked slalom events.

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Seeding Runs in Cortina

Warm conditions and a changing snow surface shaped the Para Snowboard Cross seeding runs on Saturday at the San Zan course in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where athletes set the brackets for Sunday’s elimination races.

Riders completed two timed runs, with their fastest time determining seeding position and lane choice for the head-to-head rounds. The 980-meter course drops 135 meters from start to finish and features rollers and sweeping turns that demand both speed and technical control.

With earlier training sessions affected by weather, several athletes entered the seeding session with limited full-course preparation. Team USA’s Brenna Huckaby, who ultimately topped the women’s qualifying standings, noted the uncertainty created by those conditions.

Key Results

Men’s SB-LL1
Canada’s Tyler Turner set the fastest seeding time at 51.72 seconds, followed by the Netherlands’ Chris Vos and Japan’s Junta Kosuda. Team USA placed two riders among the top five, with Mike Schultz qualifying fourth (53.63) and Noah Elliott fifth. The bracket places Schultz and Elliott in the same quarterfinal heat, creating a potential early matchup between the American teammates.

Men’s SB-LL2
Italy’s Emanuel Perathoner led the field with a 47.99-second run. Australia’s Ben Tudhope qualified second and China’s Sun Qi third. Americans Keith Gabel and Joe Pleban secured the fourth and seventh seeds respectively, positioning both within the elimination bracket heading into Sunday’s racing.

Women’s SB-LL2
In the women’s event, Brenna Huckaby posted the fastest run of 56.29 seconds to take the top seed. France’s Cécile Hernandez qualified second, while American Kate Delson earned the third seed. China’s Geng Yanhong and Wang Xinyu rounded out the top five.

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Looking Ahead

With seeding complete, competition now shifts to head-to-head snowboard cross racing, where riders compete in elimination heats and the top two finishers advance through quarterfinals and semifinals toward the Big Final. Warm temperatures could continue to influence course conditions on the San Zan track, making fast starts and tactical positioning critical as athletes battle for a place on the podium.