By Barrier Free Japan
March 15 2026
ITALY – The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympic Games ended on Sunday, with Japan’s medal haul standing at four.
International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons declared closed the first Winter Paralympics held at dispersed venues at a ceremony in Cortina d’Ampezzo in northern Italy. The next Winter Games will be held in the French Alps.
During the 10-day period of the latest quadrennial sporting event for athletes with disabilities, Japan garnered three silver medals and one bronze. Takeshi Suzuki clinched the bronze in the men’s alpine skiing slalom sitting event on the final day.
“Our athletes fought to the very end and kept challenging themselves,” Kuniko Obinata, who headed the Japanese delegation at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, said at a press conference in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Sunday.
Japan’s Daichi Oguri won the silver medal in the men’s snowboard banked slalom SB-LL1 event at the Milano-Cortina Paralympics on Friday. This is Japan’s third medal in the ongoing Paralympics, and its 100th winter Paralympic medal overall.
Alpine sit skier Momoka Muraoka’s 11th career Paralympic medal at this year’s Milano-Cortina games has made her Japan’s most decorated winter Paralympian, a new high in an already stellar career.
Muraoka, 29, won her record-setting silver medal in the women’s giant slalom sitting on Thursday, her favorite event. With the result, she exceeded Japanese Para alpine skiing legend Kuniko Obinata’s total of 10 medals, won from 1998 to 2010 in sit skiing categories.
Episode notes:
‘Japan’s Oguri Wins Para Snowboard Silver at Milan-Cortina’:
‘Paralympics: Record 11th medal for Momoka Muraoka marks new high in stellar career’ (Peter Masheter for Kyodo)
Barrier Free Japan 
0 comments on “Japan Ends Milano-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games with 100th Medal & Muraoka Japan’s Most Decorated Winter Paralympian [Podcast Episode]”