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**MILANO CORTINA 2026: WOMEN PUSH FOR THE FUTURE OF PARA ICE HOCKEY IN PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES**
A historic moment for Para ice hockey is unfolding at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, where Japan’s Akari Fukunishi has become the first female athlete ever selected for Japan’s Paralympic Para ice hockey team, marking a significant step forward for female participation in the sport.
While Para ice hockey at the Paralympic Games is technically an open-gender competition, women have rarely appeared on the ice. Since the sport made its Paralympic debut in 1994, only three women had previously competed at the Games: Norway’s Britt Mjaasund Øyen at Lillehammer 1994, Norway’s Lena Schrøder at PyeongChang 2018, and China’s Yu Jing at Beijing 2022.
Akari Fukunishi is not the only woman who will take part in the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. For the first time in a Games edition, two women will compete. Alongside her, Michaela Hozakova will also compete for Slovakia, marking an initial but important step towards gender representation in sport.
The topic was discussed during a press conference held at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, one of the key venues of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. Akari Fukunishi joined Erica McKee (USA) and Stacey Quirk (Great Britain), both members of the World Para Ice Hockey Athletes’ Committee, alongside Michelle Laflamme, Senior Manager of World Para Ice Hockey, and John Petersson, Vice-President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The discussion focused on the growth of women’s Para ice hockey and the ambition to introduce a dedicated women’s tournament at a future Paralympic Winter Games, potentially as early as the French Alps 2030 Winter Games. For Akari Fukunishi, competing at Milano Cortina 2026 carries a strong symbolic message. She hopes her presence on the ice will inspire more women to take up the sport.
The momentum around women’s participation is also reflected across the wider Paralympic movement. The International Paralympic Committee has announced a record number of female athletes at Milano Cortina 2026, with 160 women competing across the six Paralympic winter sports, 24 more than the previous record set at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. The milestone highlights the continued progress toward gender equity at the Games.
