The XXV Winter Olympic Games 2026 have officially come to a close: a record-breaking Ukrainian contingent and eight top-10 finishes

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, took to the stage to express her gratitude to the host nation; on behalf of the Olympic family, she thanked Italy for its warm welcome and the unforgettable atmosphere of the Games. 

“Our sincere thanks go to our hospitable hosts – the Italian people – for their open hearts. The stands were packed, the applause was thunderous, and the atmosphere was truly unforgettable. You gave your champions a warm welcome and supported athletes from all over the world. Thank you, Italy, for these truly magical Games,” said the IOC President.

During the opening ceremony, the Ukrainian flag was carried by freestyle representatives Angelina Brykina and Dmytro Kotovskyi. This year, our country was represented by a record number of athletes over the last 16 years: 46 Ukrainian men and women competed in 11 sports: biathlon, freestyle skiing, luge, skeleton, snowboarding, figure skating, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined and short track. 

Although they failed to win any medals, the Ukrainian team demonstrated their competitiveness, finishing in the top 10 on eight occasions.

The highest achievement by members of the Ukrainian national team on the Italian ice was sixth place in the mixed luge relay, secured by Yulianna Tunitska, Andriy Mandziy, Ihor Hoy, Nazarii Kochmar, Olena Stetskiv and Oleksandra Mokh. This success complemented a historic result for Ukraine in the women’s doubles luge, where Olena Stetskiv and Oleksandra Mokh finished seventh. 

The performances of the freestyle athletes attracted particular attention. In the individual ski acrobatics events, Oleksandr Okipniuk finished in the top 10, and in the team event — our country’s debut in this discipline — the Ukrainian team comprising Angelina Brykina, Oleksandr Okipniuk and Dmytro Kotovskyi finished sixth. Olympic debutant Kateryna Kotsar became the first Ukrainian freestyle skier to compete in the Olympic big air final: she finished tenth.

The competition at the biathlon stadium in Antholz was no less dramatic and tense: the Ukrainian quartet comprising Dmytro Pidruchnyi, Vitalii Mandzyn, Olena Horodna and Oleksandra Merkushyna finished eighth in the mixed relay. Meanwhile, the women’s relay quartet comprising Oleksandra Merkushyna, Yulia Dzhyma, Khrystyna Dmytrenko and Daryna Chalyk crossed the finish line in ninth place. Vitaliy Mandzyn’s performance was particularly impressive: in the mass start — the premier event featuring the world’s 30 best biathletes — he managed to finish in the top 10.

But beyond the results, these Games became a true manifesto of resilience for Ukraine. Skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych became a symbol of this struggle: despite his disqualification over the ‘memorial helmet’, the world witnessed the unity of Ukraine’s national team. Ukrainian luge athletes expressed their solidarity with Vlad: first, Olena Smaga displayed the words ‘Memory is not a violation’ on her glove, and after finishing the team relay, the athletes took off their helmets and knelt down, shouting to the whole world: “Vlad, we are with you! Ukraine is with you!” Alpine skier Dmytro Shep’yuk displayed the words “Ukrainian heroes are with us” on his glove after his run. Freestyle skier Kateryna Kotsar also displayed the message “Freedom of memory”. Ukrainian biathletes recorded a joint video message entitled “Memory is not a violation”, and later the female biathletes took to the start line with black ribbons woven into their hair.  As a sign of respect, skiers and ski jumpers knelt after the finish, whilst the “flying skiers” additionally raised their helmets to the sky. And with the words “Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!”, engraved on the skis of freestyle skier Angelina Brykina, the athlete reminded everyone that everyone knows exactly to whom Ukrainians owe the opportunity to represent their country at the XXV Winter Olympic Games. These gestures of remembrance and support proved that Ukraine’s voice and the memory of the fallen are inseparable from gratitude to those holding the front line today, and are greater than any award.

The National Olympic Committee thanks every athlete for their struggle and dedication. We return home with a hardening experience and faith in great victories in the future, which will surely be won under the blue and yellow flag. We thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the opportunity to represent the state on the world stage!