In 2023, the IOC mentioned solely 10 nations will be capable to host snow sports activities by 2040 due to the influence of local weather change.
The 2030 Winter Paralympics are as a consequence of be held within the French Alps, whereas Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, will host the Video games in 2034.
“The locations we’re going subsequent, we’re assured within the high quality of the snow there however the concept is to convey new hosts to those occasions,” mentioned Brazilian Parsons.
“What we’re seeing for the way forward for winter Video games is that we’ll have much less hosts capable of present a superb discipline of play, and we must be ready for that.”
He added: “Usually we organise the Winter Paralympics in March which, from a snow perspective, just isn’t the perfect, so it is one thing within the Paralympics we’re used to dealing with.
“We had it in Pyeongchang [in 2018], for instance, one session it was 26C. It was the Paralympic spring Video games.”
Just about 100% of snow on the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing was synthetic, which has an environmental price itself, however temperatures in extra of 20C induced melting, exterior and competitors schedules needed to be modified.
On the potential of comparable occurring subsequent yr, Parsons mentioned: “From the information we now have we aren’t that involved, however we’re alert and we may have the measures in place to react, but in addition it is a signal of worldwide heat which is one thing that in sport we have to react to.
“I hope world leaders can deal with that as properly, not solely specializing in sport however on the way forward for this planet, as a result of it is a actuality and the standard of snow in sport occasions is only one symptom of it.”
The 2026 Video games will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the primary Winter Paralympics, which had been held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden.
About 600 athletes are set to descend on Italy in 12 months’ time, with the motion break up between Cortina (Para alpine snowboarding, Para-snowboarding and wheelchair curling), Milan (Para-ice hockey) and Val di Fiemme (Para-cross nation snowboarding and Para-biathlon).
As ticket gross sales open, Parsons mentioned having the winter Video games in Europe affords a “nice alternative” to construct on “probably the most profitable Paralympics ever” in Paris in 2024.
