Italy Hosts the 25th Winter Olympic Games

The 25th Winter Olympic Games are set to begin today in Italy, marking a historic first as the event is held concurrently in two cities: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The Games will run until February 22, 2026, featuring approximately three thousand athletes from around the world. Among them will be five representatives from Armenia.

Armenia will be represented by cross-country skiers Mikael Mikaelyan and Katya Galstyan, alpine skier Harutyun Harutyunyan, as well as the figure skating pair Karina Akopyan and Nikita Rahmanin. During the official opening ceremony, the flag bearers for Armenia will be the figure skating duo Karina Akopyan and Nikita Rahmanin, who secured the first Olympic berth for pairs during Armenia's independence.

The figure skaters will be the first to compete, with their short program qualification scheduled for February 6, followed by the free program qualification on February 8. On February 7, Katya Galstyan will participate in the 20km skiathlon (classic/free style), and on February 12, she will compete in the 10km interval (free style).

Mikael Mikaelyan will compete in the 20km skiathlon (classic/free style) on February 8, followed by the 10km interval (free style) event on February 13. Alpine skier Harutyun Harutyunyan is set to compete in the giant slalom on February 14 and the slalom event on February 16.

A total of 116 medal sets will be contested at the 25th Winter Olympic Games, which will include competitions in 16 sports. It is worth noting that the 2028 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in the United States.