CK Updates
Winter Paralympics 2026: The ‘mixed’ team event with one woman
The Paralympic movement began in rehabilitation centres for injured World War Two veterans at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, so, it’s not surprising the early days were dominated by men, with a bias towards events for spinal-cord injuries and limb loss.
Eight decades on, women are still underrepresented in every sport in the Winter Paralympics.
Wheelchair curling, which must have at least one woman in a five-person team, has one of the best levels of female participation. A new mixed doubles discipline has been added at these Games, which has increased the participation of women in the sport to 38% from 33% in Beijing.
So, how helpful are mixed gender events?
Dr Nikolaus Dean, with the University of British Colombia, applied that question to wheelchair rugby and curling, Para-ice hockey and Para-equestrian. In 2023, he reported that “in practice, these sports provide little to no opportunity for women to get involved in the wider Paralympic movement”.
It is a story that rings true for DiClaudio.
“I think it’s there to deflect outrage,” she said of her sport being a mixed event. “I don’t think most teams take that seriously. I think it is to keep people quiet.”
Team USA’s Para-ice hockey team is selected after a residency programme involving athletes from the men’s national team. Women are allowed to compete in the men’s game, although the US have never selected one for their national side.
Asked what is key in selecting a team, American two-time Paralympic champion Jack Wallace said: “Chemistry and character is a massive factor.”
But if you are not there, it is hard to demonstrate what you would bring to a team.
Canadian Raphaelle Tousignant is one of the few women to have joined a national men’s programme and, in 2023, became the first woman to be selected for a men’s Para-Ice Hockey World Championships.
Asked about the benefits of being on the men’s team, she said: “They don’t have to worry about having the money or doing a fundraiser to get to a competition, that’s one thing.
“The other is they are at the Paralympic Games and they have a World Championship… they get paid to play their sport each month. I have the chance to have that because I play with the men’s side.”
Tousignant, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in October, has not been selected for Milan-Cortina.
The only woman who will compete is Japan’s Akari Fukunishi, whose team face Slovakia on Tuesday. Slovakia entered Michaela Hozakova but she travelled separately to Milan, says she is “just a substitute” and has been watching from the stands.
IPC president Andrew Parsons acknowledged gender parity is “not happening fast enough” but added: “The direction is really clear… once we are able to have a female tournament in Para-ice hockey, this will help a lot to fill the gap.”
Women’s Para-ice hockey did not meet the eligibility criteria for the Paralympics, which asks for a minimum of two World Championships, sustained participation from a minimum of eight nations, and representation from a minimum three regions.
Former West Ham, QPR and Czech Republic goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko has died at the age of 64.
Miklosko made almost 400 appearances for the Hammers from 1990 to 1998 and was much loved by supporters, who regularly sang his name long after he left the club.
He later returned as a goalkeeping coach.
Miklosko withdrew from cancer treatment in December 2024, three years after his diagnosis.
Days later he returned to West Ham’s London Stadium for a Premier League match against Liverpool to a hero’s reception.
A West Ham statement read: “It is with deep and profound sadness that West Ham United announces the passing of legendary former goalkeeper and coach, Luděk Miklosko.
“Rest in peace Ludek, our beloved, inspirational goalkeeper and gentle giant of a man.”
More to follow.
Going into the 2026 season, few people would have backed Zverev to win two Grand Slam tournaments, with the German having already lost three major finals in a career which looked in danger of not living up to expectation.
But injuries to his biggest rivals – Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon, with Sinner ruled out of the US Open – opened the door for Zverev.
A below-par Zverev scraped through the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows in a series of early-morning finishes, but he gradually improved over a fortnight where he did not play a top-20 opponent until Shelton.
Zverev had not lost to Shelton in their five previous meetings and immediately capitalised on a nervy start by his opponent.
Shelton double-faulted on break point in the first game of the match, handing over the type of initiative that opponents often struggle to wrestle back from Zverev.
Through the strength of his first serve, and his ability to unpick Shelton’s weaker backhand in the baseline exchanges, Zverev rolled through the opening set and clinched it when Shelton hit another double fault on set point.
Zverev continued to patiently draw mistakes from Shelton in the second set, but without being gifted a break when his only opportunity arrived in the fourth game.
He instead showed why he has a strong tie-break record with another nerveless display and, unlike in the 2020 US Open final when he lost from a two-set lead, kept his composure in the pressure moments to secure a commanding victory.
Addressing his team which is led by his father Alexander senior and brother Mischa, Zverev said: “We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now won two in the span of three months.
“I think God has seen how hard we have worked, how hard we have suffered and how much pain we went through.
“I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before.”
With Haaland’s goal settling the match, United were unsurprisingly disappointed by the decision.
“I think it was offside,” said Martinez. “And what I can’t understand is the rules. I want to be calm now, I want to control myself.
“It’s so hard because you lose a derby, you lose three points at home, and every season they’re [referees] coming to our club, they explain for one hour the rules, and they look so confident with that, and then after [there are] five or six people doing these kind of mistakes in the Premier League – it’s unacceptable.
“It’s the best league in the world, you have the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and now we have to go home with this injustice.”
United boss Carrick also expressed his confusion.
“We put things in place in the game now, we have people in offices with all the screens for this decision,” he said.
“It’s more worrying about if that’s the interpretation of football now. If that’s the interpretation of not interfering in the game now, that’s really worrying for me. It’s a staggering explanation.
“The decision isn’t going to change the season, but it’s had a major impact on the game.”
Wayne Rooney, part of the BBC’s MOTD2 team, said: “Surely it’s offside. Martinez is impacted by Fernandez’s movement, and he is offside.”
Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “I think we’ll see some sort of apology from the referee’s association, there’s no doubt Fernandez is playing that ball and is trying to put off Martinez. I think it’s one they’ll recognising they got wrong.”
Micah Richards added: “I think it’s been a bad day for referees. They got the Foden decision wrong and the Fernandez decision wrong. I think they got it so wrong but I don’t think it takes anything away from City’s performance.”
Meanwhile, City boss Maresca said: “I think it was onside clearly so it’s good.”
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