Canadian Olympic stars Mikaël Kingsbury and Marielle Thompson, set to participate in their fourth Winter Games, have been named as Canada’s flag-bearers for the opening ceremony on Feb. 6 in Italy, as announced by the Canadian Olympic Committee. They will lead their freestyle skiing and snowboard teammates in Livigno, while the parade of nations will take place in various locations including Milan’s San Siro Stadium and the mountain clusters of Cortina and Predazzo, making it the most widely spread out Games in Olympic history.
Canada’s team, consisting of over 200 members, along with athletes from 92 other countries, will be accommodated in six Olympic villages spread across 22,000 square kilometres in Northern Italy. Kingsbury, a renowned moguls skier with three Olympic medals and 100 World Cup victories, expressed his pride in being chosen as a flag-bearer, considering it one of the greatest honors of his life.
At 33 years old, Kingsbury aims to secure a medal in what he anticipates will likely be his final Olympics. Having already claimed silver in Sochi 2014, gold in Pyeongchang 2018, and silver in Beijing 2022, he stands as the first male moguls skier to achieve three Olympic medals. Meanwhile, Thompson, also 33, a ski cross racer from Whistler, B.C., who clinched gold in 2018 and silver in 2022, has been recovering from a knee injury sustained last season.
The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on CBC-TV, commencing with the pre-show at 1:30 p.m. ET. Extensive coverage will be available for streaming on CBC Gem and the CBC Olympic website. Kingsbury and Thompson mark the third pair of athletes from different sports to be selected as flag-bearers following a 2021 amendment by the International Olympic Committee allowing each country to nominate a male and female representative.
Kingsbury, who recently achieved his 100th World Cup win in Val St-Côme, Que., plans to skip the dual moguls event to focus on recuperating from a left groin injury. He expressed confidence in his ability to perform well despite not being at full fitness. Thompson, on the other hand, has battled through multiple knee surgeries and setbacks in her career but remains determined to excel at the Winter Games.
Both athletes are looking forward to representing their country with pride and are eager to make their mark at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. Canada holds a distinguished record in ski cross events, with Thompson being a significant contributor to the nation’s success. Their journey to the Olympics is a testament to their perseverance and dedication to their sport.