Para Snowsport - 2025/26 Season Wrap

Australia’s Para Snowsport’s athletes 2026 International season delivered a defining campaign, combining Paralympic podium success with historic milestones and continued growth across all three Para disciplines.

The standout performance came from Ben Tudhope, who claimed two medals at Milano Cortina 2026 to take his career tally to three Winter Paralympic medals. He now sits behind only Michael Milton (11) and James Paterson (4) on Australia’s all-time list. 

Milton also made history by becoming Australia’s oldest Winter Paralympian, returning to competition 20 years after his fifth Games in Torino. Taryn Dickens debuted as Australia’s oldest female Winter Paralympian, while Liana France became the nation’s youngest at just 16 years of age.

While Milton was already a dual Paralympian having competed in Para cycling at Beijing 2008, Summer Games gold medallists Amanda Reid and Lauren Parker became the eighth and ninth athletes to join that unique club.

Para Snowboard - Team Wrap
Tudhope again led the way for Australia’s Para Snowboarders with another outstanding international campaign.

Just days after carrying the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony, he claimed silver in the SB-LL2 Snowboard Cross, improving on his bronze from Beijing 2022. He added a second medal in Banked Slalom - his first in the discipline after seventh (2018) and ninth (2022) at the two previous Games.

Across the World Cup season, Tudhope extended his record tally of podiums with three silver medals in Kühtai AUT (two) and Big White CAN, bringing his career total to an amazing 51. At the conclusion of the World Cup season, Tudhope was ranked 7th overall in SBX, 2nd overall in BSL and 2nd in the Overall WC rankings for Para SB (LL2). 

He was joined in Milano Cortina by 2018 Paralympian Sean Pollard (SB-UL) and debutants Aaron McCarthy (SB-LL1) and Reid (SB-LL1).

Pollard, named Australian team captain, produced a consistent season highlighted by a fourth-place finish in Snowboard Cross at the World Cup in Big White (CAN). In Cortina at the Paralympics, he won his pre-heat before finishing ninth overall after exiting in the quarter-finals, and placed 12th in Banked Slalom.

In just his second international season, Aaron McCarthy stepped up the pace and competed in his first World Cup events, he finished the season in the Europa Cup standings in 2nd for SBX, and despite missing some competitions due to injury ranked 12th SBX and 1th BSL at the World Cup overall for LL1.  Recovering in time to compete at the Games, Aaron qualified 14th in Snowboard Cross, finishing 12th overall, and placing 13th in Banked Slalom for LL1.

Reid, the 2023 LL1 Snowboard Cross world champion and two-time Paralympic gold medalist in Para-Cycling, delivered a strong World Cup season, competing across Europe and North America. While competing in combined classification events (LL1 & LL2), she consistently ranked among the top LL1 athletes. She became Australia’s first Indigenous Winter Paralympian in Italy, qualifying eighth in Snowboard Cross before a quarter-final crash saw her finish ninth and ultimately ruled her out of Banked Slalom through injury.

Up and coming Para-Snowboarder Blair Rosser (SB-LL2) . competed internationally for the first time this season with impressive European Cup results, including a Banked Slalom sixth in Kuhtai, Austria and Snowboard Cross eighth in  Lenk, Switzerland. Finishing his first international season ranked 8th in SBX and 12th in BSL for Europa Cup LL2. 

Para Alpine - Team Wrap
Five athletes were selected to represent Australia in Para-Alpine skiing at Milano Cortina 2026 across four classifications.

Josh Hanlon (LW12-2 - sitting) entered the Games in strong form, claiming medals at 3 World Cup events in Saalbach (AUT) (Downhill), Feldberg (GER) (Slalom) and Veysonnaz (SUI) (Llalom). At the Paralympics, he finished 12th in Alpine Combined before recording top-10 results inGiant Slalom (10th) and Slalom (9th). Another breakout season for Hanlon, finishing 3rd in the World Cup SL overall rankings, a huge accomplishment in a stacked field.

Georgia Gunew (AS2 - VI) was given the honour of carrying the Australian flag with Tudhope at the Winter Paralympic Opening Ceremony. Alongside guide Ethan Jackson, Gunew was competing at her first Games at the end of a consistent season which included a World Cup bronze in Veysonnaz. (SUI) (Slalom). Their best result in Cortina was 10th in the Giant Slalom followed by 11th in Slalom.

Michael Milton (LW2 - standing) returned to the Paralympic stage at 53, earning selection through strong domestic and international results, including a return to World Cup competition in St Moritz (SUI). His best result at his sixth Winter Games was 13th in Alpine Combined.

Liana France (LW6/8-2 - standing) completed a rapid rise to the Paralympic team, earning selection after podium performances in Austria and strong World Cup results in her debut World Cup season, including sixth in Veysonnaz (SUI) (Slalom) at her 3rd WC event. She placed 14th in both Giant Slalom and Slalom on her Games debut.

France is yet another product of Snow Australia’s Emerging TalentProgram which currently features eight Para Alpine athletes including Dylan Molloy who collected a pair of top 10 results at the US National Championships last month in Park City, Utah.

Para Cross Country - Team Wrap
Since the inaugural Winter Paralympics in 1976, just five athletes had represented Australia in para-cross-country skiing. That number doubled at Milano Cortina with five more athletes selected to compete in both cross-country and biathlon, including our first female athletes.

Lauren Parker (LW10 - sitting), a Paralympic gold medalist in Para-Triathlon and Para-Cycling at Paris 2024, demonstrated her endurance credentials with a strong debut season. After encouraging World Cup results in Canmore, (CAN) she recorded a pair of top-10 finishes at the Games, including eighth in the 10km interval start and 10th in the 20km.

David Miln (LW12 - sitting) progressed rapidly from classification in late 2024 to Paralympic selection, competing in his first Games and finishing 20th in the 10km interval start.

Miln was joined by fellow Invictus Games alumnus Matt Brumby (LW10 - sitting), who competed in his second international season and finished 31st in the 10km.

Taryn Dickens (NS3 - VI), alongside guide Lynn Maree Cullen, made her Paralympic debut after consistent performances on the World Cup circuit, finishing 13th in the sprint.

Building on the momentum of the Cortina Paralympics, the para teams are refocusing as they begin a new Paralympic cycle—starting with domestic training initiatives as a crucial first step, and setting their sights firmly on the “2030 French Alps PWG.”