Milan, Feb 7 (.) Alpine skier Arif Mohammad Khan led the Indian contingent at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, carrying the national flag during the traditional Parade of Nations held at the Livigno Snow Park in Italy.
The opening ceremony of the Winter Games took place at Milan’s San Siro Stadium on Friday, with simultaneous events held across Cortina, Livigno, and Predazzo, as per Olympics.com.
While Arif Khan carried the Indian Tricolour, cross-country skier Stanzin Lundup held the country placard. The two athletes constitute India’s contingent at the Games.
The ceremony featured performances by internationally renowned artists, including Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, and Andrea Bocelli, as the Winter Olympics marked their centenary edition, having begun in 1924.
Milano Cortina 2026 marks Arif Khan’s second appearance at the Winter Olympics. He made his debut at Beijing 2022, where he competed in both slalom and giant slalom events.
Arif remains the only Indian athlete to have secured direct quota places in two alpine skiing disciplines at a single edition of the Games.
At Beijing 2022, Arif finished 45th in the giant slalom, the best-ever result by an Indian in that event, while he did not finish the slalom race. At Milano Cortina, he will compete only in the slalom event, having secured India’s quota place through the Olympic FIS points system.
The alpine skiing competitions will be held at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio, with the slalom event scheduled for February 16.
Stanzin Lundup, the only other Indian athlete at the Games, will compete in the men’s 10km interval start freestyle cross-country skiing event. He secured India’s quota at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Norway last year and was selected by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Lundup’s event is scheduled to take place on February 13 at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will conclude on February 22.
. VAN PRS