- Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge is set to return to the Olympics after being selected as a flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
- The two-time Olympic gold medallist is among eight distinguished individuals chosen to carry the Olympic Flag into the San Siro Stadium during the ceremony on February 6.
- Kenya will also be represented at the Games by skiers Sabrina Wanjiku Simader and Issa Laborde.
Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge will return to the Olympic stage, this time selected among the flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
The two-time Olympic champion is among eight distinguished bearers chosen to carry the Olympic Flag into the San Siro Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony on 6 February.
The bearers were chosen by the International Olympic Committee and Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, honoring athletes and other figures whose lives and work embody the Olympic values of peace, unity, and solidarity.
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Kipchoge will be joined by bronze medalist Cynthia Ngamba (refugee athlete), Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, Tonga’s Pita Taufatofua, four-time Olympian Martina Valcepina of Italy, and 1968 cross-country gold medalist Franco Nones.
A five-time Olympian, Kipchoge secured marathon gold in Rio 2016 and Sapporo 2021.
He made his Olympic debut in Athens 2004, earning 5000m bronze, then claimed 5000m silver in Beijing 2008.
After his two marathon victories, he returned to the Olympic roads at Paris 2024.
Beyond his major marathon wins, Kipchoge has twice broken the world record first in Berlin 2018 with 2:01:39, then in the same city four years later with 2:01:09.
Wanjiku & Laborde to fly Kenya’s flag at Milano Cortina 2026
Kenya will also be represented by skiers Sabrina Wanjiku Simader and Issa Laborde, who officially qualified for the Games, as announced by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya on Monday.
The Winter Olympics will gather the world’s top winter sports athletes to compete across snow and ice events from February 6 to 22 at venues in northern Italy.
The Paralympic Winter Games will follow from March 6–15.
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Both Simader and Laborde will compete in alpine skiing, a discipline where athletes race down snow-covered slopes against the clock rather than directly against one another.
NOC-K Development Lead Susan Adhiambo praised their qualification as a significant milestone:
“For Kenya, a country on the equator, to have two athletes competing against nations where skiing is part of daily life is something to be very proud of.” She highlighted that Laborde’s year-round training support in France has been crucial to his progress.
Sabrina Wanjiku will make her third Winter Olympics appearance, eight years after her debut at PyeongChang 2018.
Laborde, making his senior Olympic debut, previously represented Kenya at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Winter Games, marking his step up from youth to senior competition.