Visually impaired Para alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won Russia's first Paralympic medal since 2014, taking bronze in the women's downhill standing competition. Russian athletes are back competing under their own flag in the Winter Paralympics at Milan Cortina. This marks their return after years of competing as neutral athletes due to doping violations and conflicts.
Varvara Voronchikhina, of Russia, competes in the alpine skiing women's downhill standing competition at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on March 7, 2026. Evgeniy Maloletka / AP
The Russian national anthem could be played for gold medalists for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian flag officially returned during the opening ceremony, the first time it has flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.