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Jack Wallace #8 of Team United States celebrates as his teammate Declan Farmer #16 scores his team's fifth goal during the para ice hckey open team tournament during the gold medal match against Canada.
Credit: James Fearn/Getty for IPC
These pictures are worth gold.
As the world's best athletes competed at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, Getty photographers were there to capture every split-second.
From March 6th to 15th, photographers stationed themselves on the slopes, at the rinks and atop Northern Italy's breathtaking mountains in attempt to photograph the energy of the competition.
Approximately 611 athletes put their talents to the test over the course of the Paralympic Games, competing in 79 medal events across six sports: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling.
Now, Getty photographers share 20 photos with PEOPLE for an inside look at the history-making sporting event.
01 of 20
Sweet Victory
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Oksana Masters of Team United States celebrates after winning gold in the Para Cross Country Skiing Sprint Sitting Final at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Buda Mendes/Getty
During this race, Team USA’s Oksana Masters won her second gold medal of the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics with a dominant win in the women's cross-country sprint sitting race. This was her 21st career Paralympic medal and 11th career gold.
"Her celebration is simply a reflection on the overcoming of challenges in Paralympic sport," photographer Buda Mendes tells PEOPLE. "She is a portrait of how the athletes are the true heroes of sport."
He adds, "Capturing this moment is to immortalize a part of Masters’ enormous history and legacy in sport."
02 of 20
Natural Beauty
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Robelson Lula of Team Brazil and Nicolas Lima of Team Argentina compete during the Men's 10km Para Cross-Country Skiing Sitting at the 2026 Paralympic Game.
Credit: David Ramos/Getty
David Ramos shot this image of the men's 10km para cross-country skiing with a mirrorless camera modified to capture parts of the electromagnetic spectrum beyond what is visible to the human eye.
"With a specific infrared filter, the foliage transforms into these striking red tones, which is what gives the frame its surreal quality," he tells PEOPLE of shooting the event in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
"Knowing the effect the forest would produce, I went looking for a large mass of trees near the course and waited for the athletes to pass through the scene," he continued. "What interested me most was the contrast in scale — the vast, almost dreamlike landscape against the tiny figures moving across the snow."
03 of 20
Sweep Satisfaction
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Jason Kean and Joanna Butterfield of Team Great Britain compete during the Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles match between Team Great Britain and Team United States ahead of the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Mattia Ozbot/Getty
Curling athletes are incredibly focused during matches, which is what photographer Mattia Ozbot set out to capture on camera.
"I attempted to capture an image using reflections to showcase this, waiting for the right moment during the competition," he tells PEOPLE, noting that he used a slow shutter speed to emphasize that the match is in progress and the stones are in motion.
"The British athletes had completed their throw, and the Korean athlete is watching the trajectory," he shared. "I was struck by the fact that through this interplay of reflections, one can sense and immerse oneself in the two matches."
04 of 20
Time to Celly
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Felix Schrader #97 of Team Germany celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team's fourth goal in overtime to win the Para Ice Hockey Classification Match between Team Slovakia and Team Germany at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Buda Mendes/Getty
This celebration image of Team Germany was after they scored the game-winning goal in overtime, securing their qualification for the fifth-place match in the competition.
"It was a moment of pure joy among the players and the contrast of the white ice, with black uniforms, really makes the image pop," Buda Mendes says, noting, "This was taken with a 400mm super telephoto lens."
05 of 20
Jump and Joy
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Corey Peters of Team New Zealand competes in the Para Alpine Skiing Men's Downhill Sitting Final at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Dario Belingheri/Getty
"I was a bit far away from the gate here and needed to shoot with an 800mm, very long lens," photographer Dario Belingheri tells PEOPLE of capturing the para alpine skiing men's downhill sitting final.
"The challenge was that I couldn't see the athletes coming up behind the small hill," he recalls. "Then came the moment of Team New Zealand’s Corey Peters, defending Paralympic champion, and he made my day with this great jump in the air."
Belingheri remembers, "I had just less than a second for catching him suspended in the air before landing. This made for an exciting first day of capturing the Paralympic Games."
06 of 20
All or Nothing
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Andrea Rothfuss of Team Germany reacts after competing in the Women's Alpine Skiing Super-G Standing at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Linnea Rheborg/Getty for IPC
Linnea Rheborg was behind the lens for the women's alpine skiing super-G standing on day three of the Milano Cortina Games when she captured the end of a race that she'll never forget.
"Finish-line moments like this are always unpredictable," she tells PEOPLE. "You can prepare for the setup, but the final result depends entirely on how the athlete reacts in the moment."
"In this case the athlete moved cleanly through the frame, and the conditions played a key role," Rheborg recalls. "The sun and snow reflection provided soft, flattering light and a subtle halo effect, which helped lift the image despite the harsh midday conditions."
She adds, "The tighter crop around the logo keeps the focus on the moment while preserving the relevant context."
07 of 20
Nailed It!
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A view of the nails of Martina Vozza of Team Italy painted with the colors of the Italy flag as she envisions her run with guide Ylenia Sabidussi ahead of the Super-G leg of the Para Alpine Skiing Women's Alpine Combined Vision Impaired at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Linnea Rheborg/Getty for IPC
"This athlete was competing in the Super-G leg of the para alpine skiing women's alpine combined vision impaired," Rheborg points out. "And ahead of the start her guide was physically mapping out the course using hand movements to convey terrain and rhythm."
"I was drawn to the detail and intimacy of this exchange," she says, recalling the "quiet moment of concentration that reflects the level of trust and preparation required before the race begins."
08 of 20
Energy! Energy! Energy!
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Japan fans enjoy the atmosphere during the Women's 10km Para Cross-Country Skiing Classi VI at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: David Ramos/Getty
"This image was captured with an infrared camera, but the feeling of the image comes more from the atmosphere than the technique alone," David Ramos tells PEOPLE of shooting the women's 10km para cross-country skiing classic VI.
"The mood inside the cross-country stadium was fantastic," he recalls. "I positioned myself near a group of Japanese supporters because they brought so much emotion and intensity every time the athletes came through the stadium."
"What stood out to me was that explosion of joy — the noise, the movement, the shared excitement," Ramos points out. "I wanted to capture that emotional release rather than just make a straightforward picture of spectators."
09 of 20
Snow Much Style
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Audrey Pascual Seco of Team Spain crashes during run one of the Para Alpine Skiing Women's Giant Slalom Sitting at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Maja Hitij/Getty
"Audrey Pascual of Spain arrived as one of the clear favorites, having already claimed gold and silver in the super-G sitting and downhill sitting events. During the first run of the giant slalom, however, her race took an unfortunate turn just before the finish line when she crashed," Maja Hitij tells PEOPLE.
"I initially skied down the course looking for good shooting positions, but there weren’t many options available and two other colleagues were further up for action at the first run," she recalls.
"I eventually decided to head toward the finish area and set up near one of the final gates," continues Hitij. "While focusing on the action at that gate, I managed to capture the exact moment Audrey crashed as she passed through the gate."
"The scene came together well as I had a clean background, good positioning, and the decisive instant unfolding right in front of me," she says. "Most importantly, Audrey got back up immediately and skied to the finish line without injury."
Hitij concludes, "Although the crash ended her chances of adding another medal despite being a top favorite, it was a relief to see her well."
10 of 20
Victory on Ice
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Jinqiao Yang of Team People's Republic of China competes during the Wheelchair Curling Mixed Doubles Semi-Final Match at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Mattia Ozbot/Getty
Mattia Ozbot tells PEOPLE that "the biggest challenge" in photographing curling was finding "emotional shots with a clean background," as well as "interesting lighting and shadows."
"I walked all around the stadium looking for angles and clear spots," he shares. "As I sat in the stands, I saw a small gap between the wooden structure of the stands and took this photo, waiting for the right moment when the stone was shot."
11 of 20
Born to Fly
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Kathrin Marchand of Team Germany competes during the Women's 10km Para Cross-Country Skiing Standing at the 2026 Paralympic Games.
Credit: Luke Hales/Getty Images
Photographer Luke Hales notes they've been "very lucky" in Tesero to have bright sunny skies on competition days; but when the cloud rolled in that morning, he set out to try something different given the darker setting.
"I placed myself on a slight downhill on the course with a mountain view in back, then slowed my shutter down to about 1/25th of a second," he tells PEOPLE. "As the skiers raced by, I followed the action with my camera at the same speed they were moving to create this effect."
Hales shares, "It worked well for this German competition who had her poles sticking up in the air."
12 of 20
History in the Making
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Jack Wallace #8 of Team United States celebrates as teammate Declan Farmer #16 (not pictured) scores the team's fifth goal during the Para Ice Hockey Open Team Tournament Gold Medal Match.
Credit: James Fearn/Getty for IPC
"This image shows Jack Wallace of Team USA celebrating the team's fifth goal during the Para ice hockey gold medal match against Team Canada," James Fearn tells PEOPLE.
"The image, taken with remote camera positioned in the back of the net, shows the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat from a bird’s eye view," he shares of the moment that earned Team USA its fifth-straight gold medal title.
13 of 20
Emotion in Motion
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Stefan Egger-Riedmueller of Team Austria reacts after competing in the Men's 10km Para Cross-Country Skiing Standing.
Credit: Buda Mendes/Getty
James Fearn was behind the lens for the men's 10km para cross-country skiing standing on day five of the 2026 Paralympic Games, where he found himself photographing the finish line of a "very intense race."
"The photo perfectly captures the immense exhaustion and fatigue following the race," he tells PEOPLE. "I focused in on Stefan Egger-Riedmueller of Team Austria’s reactions on his face, hands and upper body to showcase his dejection, as well as his grit and determination as an elite athlete."
14 of 20
Full Send
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An athlete competes during the Para Snowboard Cross on day two of the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.
Credit: David Ramos/Getty
"This image was captured in infrared, but here I combined it with a slow shutter speed to emphasize the speed and intensity of snowboard cross. Rather than freezing the action in a conventional way, I wanted the motion blur to become part of the picture and help convey how fast these athletes are moving," David Ramos tells PEOPLE.
"What stood out to me was that feeling of velocity cutting through the course, and I wanted the frame to feel dynamic rather than static," he says. "The challenge was balancing movement and clarity — keeping just enough definition in the athlete while letting the blur and light create a stronger sense of energy and flow."
15 of 20
Dialed In
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Shiyu Wang of Team People's Republic of China competes during the Women's Para Biathlon Individual Sitting.
Credit: Alex Grimm/Getty
"In bright sunshine and spring-like temperatures of over 15°C, the Chinese athlete Shiyu Wang has just overcome a relatively steep climb," photographer Alex Grimm recalls to PEOPLE.
"The physical effort is clearly visible on her face as she moves forward using only the strength of her arms," he says. "This facial expression gives the otherwise rather static image a strong sense of dynamism, allowing the viewer to sense the immense effort required to reach the crest of the hill."
16 of 20
Full Speed Ahead
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Chiara Mazzel of Team Italy competes with guide Nicola Cotti Cottini during the Women's Alpine Skiing Super-G Vision Impaired.
Credit: Mattia Ozbot/Getty
"The photo shows Italian athlete Chiara Mazzei winning gold with this run," Mattia Ozbot tells PEOPLE. "I knew she was a favorite and I looked for the best position to photograph both the athlete and the guide."
"The main difficulty was that, as she was wearing bib number one, she was the first pair to start," he says. "I tried to keep the focus on the left-hand side so that the guide would be on the right. I was lucky that the guide was close to the athlete, and I was immediately struck by the jump Chiara made."
17 of 20
No Looking Back
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Nicole Zaino of Team United States competes during the Para Biathlon Women's Sprint Sitting.
Credit: Alex Grimm/Getty
"My assignment on this day was to photograph the athletes’ finishes in the stadium area," recalls Alex Grimm, noting, "From there, classic action shots along the course are normally difficult to capture."
"The blue course barriers — usually something photographers try to avoid in sports images — become a defining element of the composition here," he says. "In their dense repetition they create a graphic structure that gives the image a distinctive visual motion."
18 of 20
Air Time
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Kate Delson of Team United States competes during the Para Snowboard Cross Quarterfinals.
Credit: Dario Belingheri/Getty
"When I did the recon of the snowboard cross track, I saw this jump and immediately understood that this would be a good point to have a clear view of the mountains in the background while the athletes jumped in the air," Dario Belingheri tells PEOPLE.
"Going to my position, I saw that the shot was not really clean since there were trees and a gate in the back that ruined my view," he recalls, noting, "So, I needed to lay down on the snow to have the clean shot that I wanted."
Belingheri was able to capture USA’s Kate Delson's jump, which she hit in a super dynamic position. "The challenge here was I couldn't see any of the athletes coming until they suddenly appeared in the air," he points out.
19 of 20
Locked in
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Aaron Pike of Team United States looks on ahead of the Para Biathlon.
Credit: Alex Grimm/Getty
"This image shows US athlete Aaron Pike during the so-called 'zeroing' session ahead of the Para biathlon competition," Alex Grimm tell PEOPLE. "During zeroing, athletes take practice shots to check their rifles and make final adjustments before the race begins."
Grimm considers this timing a "good opportunity" to capture strong images at the shooting range before focusing on the action out on the course. "The image captures a typical moment when athletes look back toward their coaching team after their test shots, waiting for feedback," he explains.
20 of 20
Taking It in
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Bronze Medallist Zebastian Modin of Team Sweden reacts after competing in Para Cross-Country Skiing Men's 10km Interval Start Classic Vision Impaired.
Credit: Luke Hales/Getty for IPC
"The finish line at most of these events can be a chaotic place," photographer Luke Hales says. "Most races are interval start, where the competitors being about 30 seconds apart from one another."
"This leads to the finish area being scattered with competitors after the race, and unless you are following the results on the video board, the inability to really tell who won," he shares. "In the visual impaired category of races, skiers follow a guide who gives them verbal instructions to navigate the course."
"After this Swedish competitor crossed the finish line, I noticed he was all alone for a very quiet looking moment," continues Hales. "Around him were a mix of other competitors, guides, coaches and TV cameras, but from my elevated position I framed him where it is just him and the snow after winning the bronze medal."
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