Cross-country skier, Samuel Ikpefan, officially became the first Nigerian in history to feature at two consecutive Winter Olympic Games, as he carried the nation’s flag during the Parade of Athletes at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.
Italy launched the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday with a slick and colourful ceremony that celebrated the country’s history, arts and fashion.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella formally declared the Games open at the main event in Milan’s San Siro stadium, as part of a show that also linked to celebrations in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo, more than 400 km (250 miles) away in the Dolomites.
Ikpefan will be Nigeria’s sole representative in Milano-Cortina, competing in the men’s 10km freestyle and sprint classic events. He becomes part of a modest but growing African presence at the Winter Olympics, with athletes drawn from eight countries across the continent.
Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Eritrea will each be represented by one athlete, while Madagascar, Morocco and Kenya will field two apiece. South Africa leads Africa’s delegation with five athletes.
Born and raised in the French Alps to a French mother and a Nigerian father from Edo State, Ikpefan’s path into cross-country skiing was shaped by his environment.
Winter sports were a natural part of his upbringing, but what began as an outdoor pastime, gradually evolved into a competitive career that took him through regional, national and international levels.
Despite being raised in Europe, Ikpefan made a deliberate decision to represent Nigeria on the international stage. The choice, he said, was driven by both identity and purpose.
Milano-Cortina will be Ikpefan’s second Olympic appearance. He made history at Beijing 2022 as Nigeria’s first-ever Winter Olympian and sole flag bearer, but his Games were compromised after he contracted COVID-19 in the build-up.
He opted out of the 15km classic event and finished 73rd overall in the men’s sprint free results that fell short of his expectations.
While the odds of a medal are statistically slim against Scandinavian powerhouses, Ikpefan is skating for a different kind of gold: the recognition that Nigerian excellence knows no climate.
As the torch begins its journey across the Italian peaks, a nation of 200 million people will be watching a single man on skis, proving that the Eagle can indeed fly—even in the freezing cold.