Ukraine at the 2026 Olympic opening ceremony: How it looked
Ukrainian athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Olympics (photo: "Suspilne Sport")
Ukrainian athletes took part in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
This was reported by RBC, citing the live broadcast of the event.
Ukraine's appearance
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics began at 9:00 p.m. Kyiv time. The main show took place at the legendary San Siro stadium in Milan, while the event was simultaneously held in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The flagbearers for the Ukrainian team at the official ceremony were skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych and short-track speed skater Yelyzaveta Sydorko.
Sydorko carried the flag at San Siro, while Heraskevych did so in Cortina. In other Olympic locations, the Ukrainian flag was carried by Annamari Dancha (snowboarding) and Yevhen Marusyak (ski jumping).
While waiting for their turn in the parade of participants, the Ukrainian athletes sang the immortal Ukrainian hit "Chervona Ruta."
Our team before the start of the ceremony (photo: National Olympic Committee of Ukraine)
A total of 46 Ukrainian athletes traveled to Italy. They will compete in 11 of the 16 sports featured at the Games. Ukraine has the largest representation in biathlon and skeleton, with 10 athletes in each, and nine more will compete in freestyle skiing.
The youngest member of the Ukrainian team at the Games is 18-year-old freestyle skier Diana Yablonska, who specializes in aerials. The oldest is skeleton racer Andriy Mandziy, who will be 37 years and 353 days old when he competes in the men’s singles event.
The first Ukrainian to officially start will be 25-year-old Kateryna Kotsar: the women’s slopestyle qualification will take place on Saturday, February 7, at 11:30. She qualified for the Games in two freestyle disciplines: slopestyle and big air.
Olympics 2026: what to know
The Games will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from February 4 to 22. This is the fourth time Italy is hosting the Olympics.
A total of 116 medal events will be contested—seven more than at the 2022 Winter Olympics. One new sport, ski mountaineering, debuts, and several other disciplines have updated programs.
More than 4,000 athletes from 96 countries will take part. Three countries are making their Winter Olympics debut: Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Arab Emirates. Venezuela, Kenya, Singapore, Uruguay, and South Africa return after a break.
Also, find out which sports are included in the program for the 2026 Olympics.
