Athletes from around the world are in the Italian Alps for the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday – including 13 sportspeople from eight African countries. Though the continent isn't associated with winter sports,

Nigeria is once again making its mark on the global stage, participating for the fourth consecutive time in the Winter Olympic Games, specifically the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games.This remarkable streak began in 2018,

Fourteen athletes from eight African nations are set to compete at the Winter Olympics, marking a significant increase from Beijing 2022.

Here's what to know about the Parade of Nations in the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony and how the country order is determined.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy commence on February 6 at San Siro, hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, featuring Nigeria's cross-country skier Samuel Ikpefan.

As the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics begin, all eyes were on teams from around the globe proudly donning their countries' uniforms for the opening ceremony, including Team USA in outfits designed by Ralph Lauren.