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,

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.

South Africa are set to be the best-represented African country at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics (Feb. 6-22), with five athletes expected to participate among a total 13 from the continent.

Here's a full list of the countries in the 2026 Olympics.

All but one former Gopher has played hockey at the Winter Olympics.

The Winter Olympics promise plenty of high adrenaline, fierce competition, historic firsts and emotional moments over 2 1/2 weeks. Here are some of the names and narratives to keep an eye on.