Figure skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin carry Armenian  flag at opening ceremony of 2026 Winter Olympics

ArmInfo.  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. They  will represent Armenia starting in May 2025. 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.