Moguls Duo Jakara Anthony And Matt Graham To Carry Flag During Winter Olympics Ceremony

Jakara Anthony, nan defending Olympic champion, and chap moguls medallist Matt Graham will lead nan Australian squad arsenic nan emblem bearers astatine nan Winter Olympics opening ceremonial astatine Milan’s San Siro Olympic Stadium.

For nan first time, nan opening arena will beryllium dispersed crossed 4 locations pinch nan moguls duo to lead nan Australian contingent marching successful Livigno, a bluish Italian municipality successful nan alps adjacent nan Swiss border. As good arsenic freestyle skiers, which includes aerialists and freeski competitors, nan snowboarders are besides competing successful Livigno.

With nan Games nan astir dispersed retired successful Winter Olympics history, Australian crystal skaters are group to march successful nan opening ceremonial successful Milan while cross-country skiers are located successful Predazzo and sliders successful Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Competing astatine her 3rd Games, Anthony will look to go nan first Australian to successfully take sides a Winter Olympic title aft storming to golden successful nan women’s moguls successful Beijing 4 years ago. The 31-year-old Graham is lining up for his 4th Games and hunting a 2nd badge aft pocketing metallic successful nan men’s arena successful PyeongChang successful 2018.

Alisa Camplin, Australia’s cook de mission, announced nan celebrated brace astatine a ceremonial successful Livigno, saying Anthony was an inspiration to galore young athletes. “I americium thrilled to sanction Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham arsenic our 2026 Australian Winter Olympic squad emblem bearers,” Camplin said. “Jakara Anthony is nan epitome of poise and excellence. Her measured yet dogged pursuit of perfection has group her isolated from her competitors for an full Olympiad.

“There are athletes successful our squad who saw Jakara triumph golden successful Beijing, and it sparked their Olympic dreams. Jakara is successful a convention of her ain – domiciled model, Olympic champion and a young Australian who sets her sights connected thing and doesn’t springiness up. I americium truthful proud to sanction her emblem bearer.”

Camplin besides praised nan activity and resilience of Graham, who competed successful Beijing pinch a fractured collarbone. “Matt is simply a semipermanent leader successful this squad and competes pinch sheer grit and sportsmanly grace,” said Camplin, who won golden successful nan aerials successful 2022 and bronze 4 years later.

Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham airs pinch Australian squad cook de ngo Alisa Camplin and chap athletes astatine Casa Italia. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“He has done it each – nan quiet debutant successful Sochi, nan metallic medallist successful PyeongChang and an wounded comeback for Beijing – connected insubstantial that’s much than capable to go emblem bearer.

“But what I emotion astir Matt, is really he ever lifts nan squad and carries nan Aussie tone erstwhile he competes. He deservedly carries nan Australian emblem into nan Milan-Cortina opening ceremony.”

While Milan is nan focal constituent for nan opening ceremony, wherever Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli will perform, elements of nan ceremonial will beryllium broadcast from nan parade of athletes successful nan different 3 locations. In a historical first, 2 charismatic cauldrons will pain simultaneously: 1 successful Milan’s Arco della Pace and different successful Cortina’s Dibona Square.