Armenia will be represented by five athletes at the 25th Winter Olympic Games, which will take place from February 6 to 22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, according to information published by Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports.
Among Armenia’s delegation is figure skating pair Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin, who have made history as the first pair skaters in independent Armenia’s history to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games.
The duo will also serve as Armenia’s flag bearers during the opening ceremony.
Akopova and Rakhmanin will take to the ice in Italy for their short program on February 15, performing to “Artsakh” by Ara Gevorgyan, a piece that has brought them widespread recognition. Speaking to the press earlier, Akopova said skating to this music at the Olympics was a deeply personal moment for her.
“It was a childhood dream. As an Armenian woman, I always imagined that if I ever went to the Olympic Games, I would perform to ‘Artsakh,’” she said.
The pair switched their sporting citizenship from Russia to Armenia last year and have since competed under the Armenian flag.
Earlier, Akopova revealed on social media that the British Embassy in Armenia refused to issue visas to her and Rakhmanin, preventing their participation in the European Figure Skating Championships held in Sheffield.
According to the figure skater, the embassy failed to respond to the athletes’ visa applications, effectively barring the pair from competing in the event.
In addition to the figure skating duo, Armenia will be represented at the Games by cross-country skiers Mikael Mikaelyan and Katya Galstyan, as well as alpine skier Harutyun Harutyunyan.
A total of 116 medal sets will be awarded during the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics, with competitions held across 16 sports disciplines.
