Crossing the finish line at a major multi-sport event is not a new sensation for two-time Olympian Emanuel Perathoner.
Winning gold on home snow? As new, and as good, as it gets.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games marked the Paralympic debut for the Italian rider who got injured training for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games and has dominated the SB-LL2 class since coming onto the Para snowboard circuit.
Riding under high expectations, the three-time world champion delivered in front of home fans at the Cortina Para Snowboard Park on Sunday (8 March) to bring Italy a gold in snowboard cross.
“It’s a beautiful moment,” Perathoner told Olympics.com. “Winning at home in front of all the people, in front of all the Italians, is even better than doing it in another country.”
Perathoner had finished off the podium in his two Olympic appearances, but medals are not the only reward in his Para snowboard journey.
Since joining the Paralympic team, Perathoner has helped to bridge the gap between Italian Para and able-bodied snowboarders. He and his Paralympic teammates now train on the same courses as the Olympians and at the same time, whereas before they usually only saw each other in passing.
“Before I was a bit in a bubble of the athletes and often one does not realise what is outside,” Perathoner said. “Here I like to hear the stories of every athlete, what happened, what is the work behind the scenes, what sport can bring to the world in general, to every person. For me, that is what fascinates me most about the Paralympic world.”
Having been welcomed into the Paralympic family, Perathoner now has a new perspective on sport, which he wants to share with others.
“Sport has no limits,” he said. “It unites people. It doesn’t matter if you’re disabled or not, you can practise sport and you can get to where you want to go.”
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READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/paralympic-games/news/winter-paralympics-2026-home-gold-for-emanuel-perathoner-para-snowboard
