No snow a 'permanent concern' for Winter Paralympics

Great Britain's Neil Simpson (right), with his guide and brother Andrew, won super-G gold at the 2022 Winter Paralympics

Climate change and the resulting lack of snow is a "permanent concern" for the future of the Winter Paralympics, says International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons.

Thursday marks one year until the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games in Italy.

Parsons' words come just weeks after the downhill events at the Para Alpine World Ski Championships in Maribor, Slovenia, were cancelled due to poor snow conditions, while in 2023 the Para-snowboard World Championships in Spain were postponed because of a "critical snow situation".

Data released that year showed 90% of Italian ski slopes rely on artificial snow.

"It's a permanent concern when it comes to the Paralympic Winter Games," Parsons told BBC Sport.

"I don't worry this will be the last [Games] but when it comes to change, yes it is something we have been discussing with the IOC [International Olympic Committee] - how to be prepared for necessary changes that may have to be made around winter Games.

"We are seeing the quality - and the amount of snow in many ski resorts around the world - is being affected, that's a fact."

In 2023, the IOC said only 10 countries will be able to host snow sports by 2040 because of the impact of climate change.

The 2030 Winter Paralympics are due to be held in the French Alps, while Salt Lake City, Utah, will host the Games in 2034.

"The places we are going next, we are confident in the quality of the snow there but the idea is to bring new hosts to these events," said Brazilian Parsons.

"What we are seeing for the future of winter Games is that we will have less hosts able to provide a good field of play, and we need to be prepared for that."

He added: "Normally we organise the Winter Paralympics in March which, from a snow point of view, is not the best, so it's something in the Paralympics we are used to facing.

"We had it in Pyeongchang [in 2018], for example, one session it was 26C. It was the Paralympic spring Games."

Virtually 100% of snow at the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing was artificial, which has an environmental cost itself, but temperatures in excess of 20C caused melting and competition schedules had to be changed.

On the potential of similar happening next year, Parsons said: "From the data we have we are not that concerned, but we are alert and we will have the measures in place to react, but also it's a sign of global warmth which is something that in sport we need to react to.

"I hope world leaders can address that as well, not only focusing on sport but on the future of this planet, because it's a reality and the quality of snow in sport events is just one symptom of it."

The 2026 Games will mark the 50th anniversary of the first Winter Paralympics, which were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden.

About 600 athletes are set to descend on Italy in 12 months' time, with the action split between Cortina (Para alpine skiing, Para-snowboarding and wheelchair curling), Milan (Para-ice hockey) and Val di Fiemme (Para-cross country skiing and Para-biathlon).

As ticket sales open, Parsons said having the winter Games in Europe offers a "great opportunity" to build on "the most successful Paralympics ever" in Paris in 2024.