Hey BSF blog readers, this is pro teamer Reid Goble. As many of you know, I recently returned from the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina. I had the honor of guiding the legend Jake Adicoff, who swept all four cross-country races in the visually impaired category and secured four gold medals. It was an incredible experience, undoubtedly one of the coolest things I’ve ever been part of. Standing on the Paralympic podium and bringing home two gold medals was surreal, and it’s something I’m still processing.

I started working with Jake and the Paralympic team in 2023, and since then I’ve become well-versed in how para cross-country racing works and just how exciting it is to watch. The 2026 Milano Cortina Games became the most-watched Winter Paralympics on record, reaching 22.7 million viewers, nearly doubling the audience from Beijing 2022. Some of those viewers may have already been you, but if not, I’m here to help turn you into a Para sports fan. The best place to start is by understanding how the racing works.

Below, I’m breaking down three key aspects of para cross-country skiing: racing categories, classification, and factoring.

Racing Categories

Para cross-country skiing features three main categories: sitting, standing, and visually impaired. Each category is its own competition. Sit skiers race against sit skiers, visually impaired (VI) athletes race against other VI athletes, and so on. Each category also has its own medal events.

• Sitting: This is the sit-ski category. Athletes have impairments affecting their legs and compete in a seated position. Sit skiers race on courses that are the same distance as standing events but are generally flatter.
• Visually Impaired (VI): Athletes in this category are either fully or partially blind and compete with a guide. VI skiers race on the same courses as standing athletes.
• Standing: This category includes athletes with lower limb impairments, upper limb impairments, or a combination of both.

Classification

Within each category, athletes are further divided into classifications based on the level of their impairment. Classification is governed by the IPC Athlete Classification Code and International Standards to ensure fair competition among athletes with varying abilities.
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Factoring

To make competition fair across different classifications, para cross-country skiing uses a factoring system. Each classification is assigned a percentage based on the level of impairment.

For example, an NS3 classification is assigned 100%, while an NS1 classification might be assigned 88%. If an NS1 skier completes a race in 10 minutes, their factored time becomes 8 minutes and 48 seconds. An NS3 skier would need to finish faster than that adjusted time to win.

So next winter, when you’re following along with the World Cup, make sure to check out the Para World Cup as well. Follow the athletes, learn the stories, and experience the excitement of the sport. And who knows maybe in four years, you’ll find yourself in the French Alps for the 2030 Paralympics.

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