Figure skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin carry Armenian flag at opening ceremony of Winter Olympics
Figure skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin, representing Armenia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, carried the flag of the Republic of Armenia at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
For the first time in history, the opening ceremony of the Games will be held in four locations: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo, and Livigno. The main part of the ceremony took place late yesterday evening at the San Siro stadium in Milan. The 2026 Olympics will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo from February 6 to 22. A total of 116 medal events will be awarded at the Games.
Earlier, it was reported that Azerbaijan filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the use of Ara Gevorkyan’s “Artsakh” musical composition by Armenian figure skaters Nikita Rakhmanin and Karina Akopova. The Azerbaijani statement claimed that the title of the composition “reflects the ideological essence of separatist politics,” which, according to observers, goes beyond the bounds of sport and Olympic principles. Meanwhile, the piece in question is a long-standing presence in Armenian cultural life and is used solely as an artistic element of the program. However, no political statements were made by the athletes, and the program itself was approved and cleared for competition by international sports bodies.
Akopova and Rakhmanin have been competing as a pair since 2019. It was with Ara Gevorkyan’s “Artsakh” that Akopova and Rakhmanin won silver medals at the ISU To Milano qualifying tournament in Beijing, securing Armenia an Olympic quota in pairs skating. Their short program performance is scheduled for February 15, Sportaran reports.
