Burger and Smith named as Team SA flagbearers for Winter Olympics

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) has announced Matthew Smith and Nicole Burger as the flagbearers for Team SA for the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Five South African athletes will take part in the nations parade along the Corso Italia pedestrian street in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The Olympics.com website said for the Milano Cortina Winter Games, for the first time in Olympic history, “the opening ceremony will be shared across multiple locations and will include the simultaneous lighting of a cauldron in the second host city”.

“Cortina d’Ampezzo, one of the co-hosts of the XXV Olympic Winter Games, will stage a simultaneous ceremony alongside the main event at Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.”

Sascoc said “cross-country skier Matthew Smith and skeleton athlete Nicole Burger have been selected to carry the South African flag at the Winter Olympic Games that get under way on Friday at venues spread across the two Italian locations”.

“Smith, 35, and Burger, 31, are the oldest members among the five athletes who will do duty for Team SA at the XXV Winter Olympics. This is the biggest delegation the country has ever sent to a Winter Games. All five are experiencing their first Winter Olympics at senior level.”

Sascoc president Barry Hendricks expressed support for the team.

“I’m delighted we have five worthy athletes representing Team SA. Congratulations to all ahead of their first Winter Olympics, and a special note of congratulations to Matthew and Nicole who will carry our flag.

“It’s a huge life milestone for any athlete to lead their nation at the opening ceremony of any Games.”

Sascoc said Team SA’s three other athletes “were born overseas”.

“Malica Malherbe (British Columbia), Lara Markthaler (Germany) and Thomas Weir (Switzerland) are talented young athletes with bright Olympic futures and aged 21, 18 and 17, respectively.

“Burger’s road to qualification required competing consistently against deeper winter sport nations, managing limited domestic infrastructure, and maintaining elite standards through determination and self-driven development.

“Smith’s qualification in cross-country skiing represents endurance in its purest form. His results demonstrate improvement, maturity and the mental strength required to perform in one of the Games’ most punishing endurance sports.”