Armenia’s delegation was officially presented at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy. Figure skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin carried the Armenian flag.
The ceremony’s main segment took place at Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium, with additional parts held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo, and Livigno. It began with a performance by dancers from La Scala, who embodied living sculptures.
The show featured giant sculptures of famed Italian composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Gioachino Rossini. Musical performances included American singer Mariah Carey and renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Armenia is represented by five athletes at the games. Besides flag bearers Akopova and Rakhmanin, the delegation includes cross-country skiers Mikayel Mikayelyan and Katya Galstyan, and alpine skier Harutyun Harutyunyan.
Cross-country events will be the first for Armenian athletes. On February 7, Katya Galstyan will compete in the 20km skiathlon (classic and freestyle), followed by a 10km freestyle interval race on February 12. Mikayel Mikayelyan will take part in the 20km skiathlon on February 8 and the 10km freestyle race on February 13.
Alpine skier Harutyun Harutyunyan is scheduled to compete in the giant slalom on February 14 and the slalom event on February 16.
The figure skating duo of Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin will participate in the short program qualifiers on February 15 and the free skate on February 16.
