ASTANA — Short-track speed skaters Denis Nikisha and Yana Khan will carry Kazakhstan’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, said Deputy Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Committee for Sports and Physical Culture Nurlan Yessembayev.
Yana Khan and Denis Nikisha. Photo credit: olympic.kz
The opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place on Feb. 6, 2026, at the San Siro Stadium, with the Games running until Feb. 22, 2026.
Nikisha, 30, is a two-time silver medalist at the Short Track World Championships in the 500-meter event (2024, 2025). Khan, 25, won silver in the relay at the 2025 Asian Winter Games.
Yessembayev also said Kazakhstan is expected to be represented by 35 athletes at the Games, with the largest delegations coming from the Akmola Region, Astana, the East Kazakhstan Region and Almaty. Preparation for the Olympics was financed with 13.2 billion tenge (US$25.7 million) from national, local and federation budgets, as well as industry support funds, reported Kazinform on Dec. 29.
According to Yessembayev, designs of Kazakhstan’s Olympic team uniforms have been approved by a special commission and will be delivered by Jan. 5, 2026, with final logo placement currently being coordinated with the International Olympic Committee. The 22-item kit includes ceremonial, training, casual and insulated outerwear and is funded through non-budgetary sources.
