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Eliud Kipchoge named official Olympic flag bearer for Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games
04th February, 2026 03:49 PM
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, who continues to inspire the world far beyond the Summer Olympic Games, has been named an official Olympic flag bearer for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
After winning two gold medals in 2016 and 2021, Kenyan marathon great Eliud Kipchoge will return to the Olympics, this time as a flag bearer.
The 41-year-old is one of the eight bearers who will carry the Olympic Flag into the San Siro Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony on Friday, February 6, 2026.
Following Kipchoge’s new role, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) has hailed the recognition.
”A rare honour for a man whose journey, humility, discipline, and belief in human potential have inspired the world. This recognition feels deeply deserved, and we couldn’t be prouder to see him carry not just a flag, but the heart, values, and spirit of Olympism for all of us,” NOC-K said in a statement on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Milano Cortina 2026
The flag bearers were selected by the International Olympic Committee and Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026: athletes, as well as individuals whose personal and professional journeys embody the principles of peace, unity and solidarity that inspire the Olympic Movement.
Kipchoge is a five-time Olympian who won his two Olympic marathon titles in Rio in 2016 and Sapporo in 2021. He made his Olympic debut in Athens in 2004, where he claimed bronze in the 5000m event, and followed that with silver in the 5000m event in Beijing in 2008. After winning his two Olympic marathon titles, he returned to the roads at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
As well as his many major marathon wins, Kipchoge has twice improved the world marathon record – to 2:01:39 in Berlin in 2018 and to 2:01:09 in the same city four years later.
In addition to his accomplishments in athletics, he is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Sport, Integrity and Values, and he became a mentor to the U20 World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team in 2023.
