Slovenian ski jumpers to lead national team at Winter Olympics opening

Ski jumpers Nika and Domen Prevc have been chosen as Team Slovenia flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games on 6 February.

The siblings are Slovenia's biggest hopes for a gold medal, having each put up a brilliant showing this season and both commanding a convincing lead in the overall World Cup standings, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Domen has also won the world flying title last month. Both him and Nika also hold world ski jumping records and world titles from the 2025 Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim.

Nika and Domen Prevc will carry the national flag at the opening ceremony in Predazzo, the ski jumping competitions venue. The main ceremony will be held at San Siro Stadium in Milan, with opening ceremonies featuring athletes also held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo.

This will be the first time in Slovenia's history for siblings to carry the national flag at the Olympics opening ceremony.

Slovenia fielding 37 athletes for the Games

Slovenia is fielding a total of 37 athletes at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, the smallest team since the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

The team features 19 male and 18 female athletes, with biathlon being the most represented sport with nine athletes, followed by alpine skiing with eight.

Seven Slovenians will be competing in ski jumping and cross-country skiing, four in snowboarding and two in Nordic combined.

The national flag bearers for the Olympics opening ceremony were announced on 2 February, just as the Olympic flame is beginning its journey around Slovenia to spread the values of Olympism.

Setting off from Laško in the mid-east of the country, the torch will visit Maribor, Kamnik, Mojstrana and the Europe Square straddling the border between Nova Gorica and Gorizia before crossing the border into Italy in Nova Gorica on 6 February.

The torch will wrap up its journey on Slovenian Culture Day, 8 February, at the opening of Slovenia House in Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the venues hosting the Games.

Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA