MVP at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, USA forward adds another top honour to his collection in New York17 Jul 2026Imagen
Declan Farmer set a single‑tournament Paralympic record for goals (15) and points (26) at Milano Cortina 2026
ⒸJames Fearn/ for IPC
By World Para Ice Hockey
After helping Team USA take its fifth consecutive Paralympic Para ice hockey gold medal, Declan Farmer added another major honour on Wednesday (15 July) in New York, winning the 2026 ESPY Award for Best Athlete with a Disability.
The ESPYs (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards) are an annual USA event celebrating outstanding individual and team athletic achievements. Established in 1993, they introduced an award for athletes with disabilities in 2002 and are organised by USA sports network ESPN.
This was Farmer’s fifth ESPY nomination and the second ESPY Award of his career. He first won Best Male Athlete with a Disability in 2014 after capturing the first of his four Paralympic gold medals.
At the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games in March, Farmer set a single-tournament Paralympic record for goals (15) and points (26), earning MVP, Best Forward and Media Best Player honours, and helping the United States secure yet another gold medal.
What a year for Declan Farmer!
🥇 Paralympic gold and Tournament MVP
🏆 @ESPYS winner for Best Athlete with a Disability
Congratulations, Declan! pic.twitter.com/NKpKXswoI3
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) July 16, 2026
He is also Team USA’s all time leader in career goals (255), assists (191), and points (446).
The other nominees for this year’s Best Athlete with a Disability award were Jake Adicoff (Para cross-country skiing), Oksana Masters (Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing), and Susannah Scaroni (Para athletics).
This marks the third time a Para ice hockey player has won the ESPY Award. In addition to Farmer’s victories in 2014 and 2026, former USA national team goaltender Steve Cash received the honour in 2010.
The USA Olympic men’s and women’s hockey teams were also recognised with nominations for Best Team – the award went to basketball team New York Knicks, who secured their first NBA <a href="https://absafricatv.com/preview-algeria-hosts-15th-african-archery-championships/” title=”Preview: Algeria hosts 15th African Archery Championships”>championships in 53 years.
The United States made history in 2026 by becoming the first nation ever to win gold medals in men’s and women’s Olympic ice hockey as well as Paralympic Para ice hockey in the same year.
