Kendall Gretsch and Andrew Kurka Elected as Closing Ceremony Flag Bearers for Milano Cortina 2026 U.S. Paralympic Team

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy - Five-time Paralympian Kendall Gretsch (Downers Grove, Illinois) and three-time Paralympian Andrew Kurka (Palmer, Alaska) were elected to lead the 2026 U.S. Paralympic Team into the Closing Ceremony as flag bearers on Sunday, March 15, at Cortina Curling Stadium. The Closing Ceremony will begin at 8:30 p.m. in Italy (3:30 p.m. ET) and will be presented live on CNBC and Peacock. 

Gretsch and Kurka were chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes led by the Team USA Athletes’ Commission, which serves as the representative group and voice of Team USA athletes. They are the first duo of Paralympic athletes to share the honor of leading Team USA into the official close of the Paralympic Winter Games. 

"I think the biggest honor is to be nominated by your teammates because we spend so much time together and to be recognized by them, I think is really special,” Gretsch said. “It's a really special group of people. I'm grateful to be a part of this team, and I'm really excited to be in Cortina and be with the rest of the team and walk into the Closing Ceremony together.”

A dual sport athlete, Gretsch has cemented her name as one of the most decorated female winter sport athletes, adding four winter Paralympic medals to her collection at Milano Cortina 2026, with one final race on Sunday. She captured gold in the women’s biathlon sprint pursuit sitting, silver in the 7.5km sprint sitting, and bronze in both the cross-country 10km and biathlon 12.5km sitting races. Gretsch’s Paralympic journey began in 2018, where she won two gold medals in Nordic skiing at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. Three years later, Gretsch became just the fifth American to win gold at both the summer and winter Paralympic Games, capturing the women’s paratriathlon title at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The Illinois native has now amassed a total of 11 Paralympic medals across two sports (Para Nordic skiing and paratriathlon) over five Paralympic Games, with one more race at Milano Cortina 2026. 

“It’s an honor to be the Closing Ceremony flag bearer,” said Kurka. “I’ve been involved in four Games and have only been able to go to two closing ceremonies - in PyeongChang where I won my gold and silver, and this year where I won my bronze. It’s been a career filled with ups and downs, but even the small victories count for me. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for my team.”

A three-time Paralympian and three-time Paralympic medalist, Kurka captured bronze in the men’s super-G sitting at the 2026 Games, adding to his collection of gold and silver from the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. Kurka’s Paralympic journey began when he qualified for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, but an injury in training forced him out of contention before he could compete. Returning to the world stage four years later, Kurka became the first-ever Paralympic medalist from his home state of Alaska. His list of accolades also includes six world championship medals.

“I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Kendall Gretsch and Andrew Kurka, who will lead the U.S. delegation into the Closing Ceremony,” said Sarah Hirshland, Chief Executive Officer of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. “Kendall and Andrew represent the very best of Team USA — athletes whose resilience, excellence, and leadership embody the spirit of the Paralympic Movement. Carrying the flag is a tremendous honor, and in this moment they represent not only their own achievements, but the dedication of every athlete, coach, and supporter who make Team USA’s journey possible.”

Follow Team USA in Milano Cortina

Team USA fans can follow the 2026 U.S. Paralympic Team at TeamUSA.com and across Team USA’s social channels on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The U.S. Paralympic Team microsite will offer Team USA results from the Paralympic Winter Games, as well as athlete biographies, sport storylines and more.      

The USOPC has launched its Team USA Milano Cortina 2026 media hub, where media can find Paralympic Winter Games operations and information, National Governing Body press officer contact information, breaking news, history books and more. The USOPC will continue to add on-the-ground information, including details on pre-Games press conferences, high-demand ticketing and more to this website. 

Recent Closing Ceremony Flag Bearers (winter only): 

• 2002: Candace Cable (Para alpine) 
• 2006 - Lonnie Hannah (Sled hockey) 
• 2010 - Monte Meier (Para alpine) 
• 2014 - Steve Cash (Sled hockey) 
• 2018 - Oksana Masters (Para Nordic) 
• 2022 - Keith Gabel (Para snowboarding) 
• 2026 - Kendall Gretsch (Para Nordic), Andrew Kurka (Para alpine)