Milano-Cortina Paralympics reveal opening, closing themes as Games draw near

The organizing committee of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games has unveiled the titles, creative visions, and first talents of the opening and closing ceremonies, as Thursday marked 50 days before the event officially gets underway.

Scheduled from March 6 to 15 across multiple Italian cities, the Games will bring together 665 athletes from 50 countries and regions to compete for 79 gold medals across six sporting disciplines.

The opening ceremony, titled "Life in Motion," will be staged at the historic Arena di Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, presenting a tribute to change and transformation that seeks to redefine disability through a new harmony between people and the environment.

"I paid close attention to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which I consider one of the three or four most beautiful in the history of Olympic ceremonies. This time at the ancient Arena di Verona, we will place greater emphasis on showcasing the human element," the ceremonies' artistic director Alfredo Accatino told a Chinese reporter at the event.

The closing ceremony, themed "Italian Souvenir," will be held on March 15 at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, guiding athletes, volunteers, and fans through a journey that captures the emotions and memories of the Games after days of competition and achievement.

Craig Spence, the International Paralympic Committee's Chief Brand and Communications Officer, believes that Italy will deliver "the best Paralympic Games" following the benchmark set by the Beijing Winter Paralympics in 2022.

"I think what China did in Beijing has really set the benchmark for all future teams competing in the Paralympic Winter Games in terms of performance. That's why I think Milano-Cortina will be the best Paralympic Games we've ever seen for sports," he said.

The U.S. dollar increased in late trading on Thursday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, went up 0.38 percent to 100.024 at 1900 GMT.

In late New York trading, the euro lost to 1.1544 dollars from 1.1607 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was down to 1.3227 dollars from 1.3324 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 159.34 Japanese yen, higher than 158.82 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar was up to 0.7984 Swiss francs from 0.7931 Swiss francs, and it rose to 1.3921 Canadian dollars from 1.3895 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar added to 9.4234 Swedish kronor from 9.3935 Swedish kronor.