Team USA at the Paralympics: Top records, legendary athletes you need to know about ahead of Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics 2026

The Paralympic Games celebrate the achievements of athletes with disabilities from across the world. The first official Summer Paralympics were held in 1960 in Rome, Italy. The first Winter Paralympics took place in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Since then, the Paralympic Games have become one of the most inspiring sports events in the world.

The United States has been one of the most successful countries in Paralympic history. Team USA has taken part in every Summer and Winter Paralympic Games since the competitions started. Over the decades, American athletes have won more than 2,700 medals across both editions of the Games. More than 1,000 of those medals are gold. Several athletes have also set remarkable records that remain unmatched in Paralympic history.

Inside Team USA’s biggest Paralympic achievements

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Team USA has played a major role in the development and success of the Paralympic Games. USA has been home to several legendary athletes who have dominated their sports and inspired future generations.

One of the most successful Paralympians in American history is swimmer Trischa Zorn. She holds the record for the most medals won by any Paralympic athlete. Zorn, who was born blind in Orange, California, competed in seven Paralympic Games between 1980 and 2004. During her career, she collected 55 medals in total, including an incredible 41 gold medals.




Zorn also holds the record for the most successful performance at a single Paralympic Games. At the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea, she won 12 gold medals in 12 events. Her achievement remains one of the greatest performances in Paralympic history.

Wheelchair archer Jack Whitman became the first American athlete to win a Paralympic medal in 1960. He claimed a gold medal at the inaugural Paralympic Games held in Rome.

American athletes have also made history at the Winter Paralympics. Cindy Castellano competed with an upper-limb amputation. She became the first American woman to win gold at the Winter Paralympics. She achieved the milestone at the 1980 Winter Paralympics in Geilo, Norway, where she won the women’s slalom and giant slalom events.

Team USA recorded its most successful Paralympic performance at the 1984 Summer Games. Those Games were jointly hosted by Stoke Mandeville in England and New York in the United States. During the event, American athletes won 397 medals in total, including 137 gold medals.



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