Since biathlon became an Olympic discipline in 1960, at least one biathlete has led their nation’s flag at every Winter Games. In total, 61 athletes have done so in 69 instances, with a record nine leading their countries in Lillehammer 1994. From tiny delegations to powerhouse teams, biathletes have become the go-to choice for carrying national pride onto the ice and snow.

Nations Led by Biathlon

Some countries have made it almost a tradition to choose a biathlete as their flag bearer. Bulgaria led the way, with a biathlete carrying its flag at four consecutive Olympics from 1984 to 1994. After a pause, the tradition returned with Ekaterina Dafovska in 2006, who had won Bulgaria’s first and only Winter Olympic gold in 1998. Sixteen years later, Maria Zdravkova took the honour in Beijing 2022, standing out as the only biathlete flag bearer of the entire Games.

Following a similar path, Moldova consistently chose a biathlete from 1994 to 2010. For this small delegation, biathlon became the sport most closely tied to its Olympic identity, highlighting determination and presence on the global stage even without strong medal prospects.

Romania has also relied heavily on biathletes—six times in total. It began in 1976 with Gheorghe Gârniță, world championship silver medalist in 1974, leading the team into Innsbruck. The nation’s most iconic figure is Éva Tófalvi, who carried the flag at three Olympics and holds the women’s record of six Winter Games appearances. She also became the first—and still only—Romanian athlete to win a Biathlon World Cup race, triumphing in Hochfilzen 2008.

Icons at Their Peak

For some biathletes, carrying the flag has gone hand in hand with the very peak of their careers. Frank Ullrich, East Germany’s star of the late 1970s and early 1980s, had already secured Olympic gold in Lake Placid 1980 along with multiple other medals before he was chosen to lead his nation in Sarajevo 1984—a clear nod to both his dominance and leadership.

Decades later, Martin Fourcade marched at the head of the French team in Pyeongchang 2018, already a multiple Olympic champion. Over the following days, he added three more golds, cementing his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats. At the same ceremony, Norway turned to Emil Hegle Svendsen—a symbolic choice, since Ole Einar Bjørndalen, one of the greatest biathletes in history, never carried the Norwegian flag himself. In a way, Svendsen’s role felt like a passing of the torch from Norway’s legend to its next generation.

On the women’s side, the standout story belongs to Magdalena Forsberg, Sweden’s only biathlete flag bearer so far. A six-time overall World Cup champion, she never won Olympic gold but carried the flag at Salt Lake City 2002 after earning two bronzes. Her selection reflected not only her results, but also her pioneering role in putting women’s biathlon firmly on the map.

Against All Odds

Not every flag bearer is a champion. Some carry the flag simply because they are their nation’s only athlete; others because their story captures the Olympic spirit.

Judd Bankert did exactly that for Guam in Calgary 1988. A physiotherapist and naturalized American, he represented the tropical Pacific Island—average temperature 28 °C—as its lone competitor. With no support team, he prepared his own skis and wax. His unlikely journey from Guam to the Winter Olympics became a textbook example of courage over medals.

Equally remarkable is Thanasis Tsakiris of Greece, who marched with the flag in 1988, 1992, and 2010. Competing at six Olympics over 22 years, he was still racing at 45. In Vancouver 2010, he even shared the Games with his daughter Panagiota, who later carried the Greek flag herself in Sochi 2014. Few stories show such endurance and family legacy in Olympic biathlon.

From unlikely outsiders to Olympic legends, biathlete flag bearers have left some of the most memorable marks on Opening Ceremonies.

With the 2026 Winter Olympics approaching, who do you think will join the ranks of biathlete flag bearers in Milano Cortina 2026?