Liana France has spoken with a maturity beyond her years upon finishing her program at the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, paying tribute to her Paralympic predecessors, thanking her supporters and explaining what she has learned from her Games experience.

France finished 14th in her slalom race, declaring herself “super, super proud” and dedicated to competing at the 2030 Paralympics in the French Alps: “France in France would be pretty awesome,” she said.

There has been plenty to remind you that France, aged 16, is Australia’s youngest ever female Winter Paralympian – she did, after all, request her supporters make a pink Australian flag with her face emblazoned on it.

But beneath the youthful exuberance and social media posts is a young athlete keen to learn, develop and compete for Australia at the highest level.

“I feel like I put down two solid runs and four solid runs in total and I’m just really proud that my best skiing has been here,” France said.

“When I came over the finish line, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I have done myself proud’. I can’t even explain how proud I am to just have put everything I had out there on the slopes.

“My coaches and all my support were there at the bottom and just seeing them – being so happy that all of my hard work with them … – and I actually listened to them. They said to send it and I felt like I really went after it and I really sent it and I’m super happy.

“It’s a lot of a mental game. It’s like you don’t want to go down a hill and just fully attack but, definitely in the start gate, oh, the nerves were unreal. I feel like just the pressure that I put on myself to just really go down and do it – I am super, duper happy.”

France said if she continued working hard, she could compete at the next Games.

“I would say just remember what you’re feeling now,” she said of herself in four years’ time. 

“Remember why you do it.  Just the feeling of coming down and just being a Paralympian …

“The team that I’m representing has a long history of amazing, amazing Paralympians. Now, to be one of those amazing Paralympians is … I’m super grateful. You have to put in a lot of work to come to the Paralympics.

“Everybody here is working so hard and really, it feels like a family and everybody here is just super, super supportive of everybody. It’s such an amazing place to be.”

Asked what has learned from competing at her first Paralympics, France said: “I feel like I have become a lot more resilient. Being around a bunch of people older than you, it definitely gives you perspective of what actually matters.

“I feel like I’ve definitely had some clarity while being over here of just what is important.”

By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia

Published: 14 March 2026