Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games: the French flag will be carried by volunteers at the opening ceremony
In the wake of the unveiling of the process for appointing the flag-bearers for the French delegation to the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, the same was true of the Paralympic Games, scheduled to take place from 6 to 15 March.
Once again, the announcement was made at the gathering of the French Olympic and Paralympic team at the Gaîté Lyrique in Paris on Friday. To lead the Paralympic delegation, which will consist of between fifteen and eighteen athletes including guides, a mixed duo will be appointed to succeed Benjamin Daviet.
There are a number of criteria for candidates: they must already have been a Paralympian, they must uphold Paralympic values (ethics, integrity), they must not have been sanctionedfor doping, manipulation of competitions, sexist and sexual violence or discrimination, and they must not already have been a flag-bearer. Two para-athletes from the same Federation and the same para-sport may stand for election.
The names of the designated para-athletes to be unveiled on 30 January
The names of the flag bearers will be announced on 30 January, at the same time as the lucky Olympians. However, it is important to point out that the designated duo will not march in the Opening Ceremony scheduled for 6 March in Verona (Italy).
“Attending the opening ceremony imposes a ten-hour time slot and only two athletes per nation will be able to participate on site. We have therefore decided to allow two volunteers to carry the flag during the ceremony,” explained Marie-Amélie Le Fur, head of the CPSF, at a press conference attended by Nordic Magazine.
So it will be at the closing ceremony on 15 March, in Cortina (Italy), that the flag-bearers will “really” march.
In addition, Marie-Amélie Le Fur announced France’s objective for the competition: “France is one of the great nations of the Paralympic Winter Games and I want us to once again aim for a top 5 finish, even if the dynamics take us further ahead.
[With Arthur Massot, in Paris]
The full Para biathlon programme for the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games
Saturday 7 March
- 10.00 am: Men’s and women’s individual 12.5 km seated race
- 12.30 pm: Individual 12.5 km standing and visually impaired men and women
Sunday 8 March
- 10.00 am: 7.5 km sprint, seated, men and women
- 12.00: 7.5 km standing sprints and visually impaired men and women
Friday 13 March
- 10.00: Qualifying sprint pursuits for sitting, standing and visually impaired men and women
- 12.30pm: men’s and women’s sitting, standing and visually impaired sprint pursuit finals
The full programme for cross-country para-skiing at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games
Tuesday 10 March
- 10.00am: CT sprint qualifiers for sitting, standing and visually impaired men and women
- 12.30 pm: CT sprint finals, seated, standing and visually impaired men and women
Wednesday 11th March
- 9.00 am: Individual 20 km FT seated men and women
- 11.20am: Individual 20km FT standing and visually impaired men
- 1.45pm: Individuals 20km FT standing and visually impaired women
Saturday 14th March
- 11.00: 4×2.5 km mixed relay
- 12.45pm: 4×2.5 km open relay
Sunday 15 March
- 9.45 am: Individual 10 km CT standing and visually impaired men and women
- 12.45pm: Men’s and women’s individual 10km seated CT
- Design of Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic medals unveiled
- CNOSF pre-Olympic gathering: the names of the French players who will be on the Presqu’île de Giens from 26 to 30 May
- Les Bleus begin their pre-Olympic training camp on the Presqu’île de Giens: discover the programme!
- A look back at the first day of the pre-Olympic gathering on the Presqu’île de Giens
- The photo album from the second day of the pre-Olympic gathering on the Presqu’île de Giens
- The photo album from the third day of the pre-Olympic gathering on the Giens peninsula
- The photo album of the fourth day of the pre-Olympic gathering on the Presqu’île de Giens
- Milan/Cortina 2026 Games: the French Olympic and Paralympic team assembles this Friday in Paris… without the biathletes
- Mixed pairs, previous Olympians, unveiling on 30 January: we know the process for appointing the French flag-bearers for the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina.
