Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

Image source, PA Media

Lilah Fear has had a busy day. She skated in the team event this morning - setting a new season best with partner Lewis Gibson - and now she leads the GB party into the San Siro.

Lilah was a little worried after being named flagbearer, as she is only five foot two and in her own words does not have huge upper body strength. She said she would ask GB chef de mission, and former flagbearer, Eve Muirhead for tips.

But Fear needn't have worried - she flew that flag perfectly.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's Guinea-Bissau - they're one of three countries who will be making their Winter Olympic debuts at the 2026 Games, with Benin and the United Arab Emirates also appearing for the first time.

With the established winter sport nations such as Norway, the United States of America, Canada and Germany looking to dominate the medal table once again, how hard is it for new countries to compete on the world stage?

Eight African nations will be represented this time with Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa along with the two debutants taking part.

South Africa is sending its largest ever team with five athletes, but over six decades since an African nation made its Winter Olympics debut, the continent's first medal remains elusive.

South African cross-country skier Matt Smith and Nigerian Skeleton racer Simidele Adeagbo join Lee James to discuss Africa's winter games participation in the latest episode of More than the Score.

Here comes Team GB!

They're wearing some rather thick blue coats along with scarfs sporting the words Great Britain.

Everyone is looking rather jovial.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Time for Jamaica, and their flagbearer in Cortina is Mica Moore.

You may remember the 32-year-old achieved Britain's best result in women's bobsleigh when she and Mica McNeill finished eighth at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

The former Commonwealth Games track sprinter received Jamaican citizenship in December 2024.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

Lilah Fear will carry the flag for Great Britain in Milan tonight, carrying on the tradition of one man and one woman being the Olympic flagbearers for Team GB.

But did you know the first ever woman to be a flagbearer at the Winter Olympics was a Brit? Mollie Phillips carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 1932 Games in Lake Placid.

Like Phillips, Fear is also a figure skater. Two history making women.

Thinking about giving skeleton a go? You might want to think again after you watch influencer Chris Hughes flying down the icy chute.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

Ooh, major boos around San Siro when the Georgian team entered the stage.

Is that down to the close connection of some of their athletes and coaches to the banned Russia?

Chemmy Alcott
Four-time Olympic alpine ski racer on BBC Two

Mia Brookes is 19 with this huge wealth of experience. She knows how to handle pressure and she also has unbelievable maturity.

Brookes is the girl who goes out there and loves the snowboard, then she goes back to her van and rocks out to Metallica.

Katie Falkingham
BBC Sport in Livigno

Image source, Getty Images

I really hope the Team GB athletes waiting to parade in Livigno put their thickest socks on tonight.

I can see the line of athletes of all nations in the distance. They’ve been stood on the snow, waiting to parade, for ages.

Nearly time.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

A massive cheer for Denmark as they enter the arena. A reminder that their men's ice hockey team face United States in a few days; given the Greenland context, that could be tasty.

We await to see what sort of reaction the USA team get, or indeed the nation who follow them - Venezuela.

Politics, politics.

You never know quite what to expect at an Olympic games.

At Beijing 2022, Finland freestyle skiier Jon Sallinen's half pipe routine didn't go exactly as he planned it, barrelling into a camera operator at speed.

As we wait for the drama of Milan Cortina to unfold, you can watch the mishap below.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

The last time there was an Olympic opening ceremony in Cortina, there was a little mishap.

Speed skater Guido Caroli skated into the arena carrying the flame, but unfortunately tripped over a loose television wire. Fortunately he regained his feet, the flame stayed lit and the ceremony continued.

Caroli got personal redemption 50 years later when he took part in the opening ceremony of Turin 2006 - but his slip should serve as a warning to tonight's torch bearers.

Image source, Getty Images

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Cortina

I’ve found a spot at the end of the parade. I’m officially on Brad Hall and Team GB watch.

All eyes will be on the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina when American skier, Lindsey Vonn takes to the slopes in a knee brace.

One week on after Vonn ruptured her left anterior cruciate ligament, the 41-year-old took to the slopes earlier today to complete her mandatory downhill training run.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Vonn joked that she was winning medals before her competitors were born. Vonn made her debut Olympic appearance at the 2002 Games in America.

The American skier is set to compete in in Sunday's downhill race.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland in Cortina

Here's what they're all competing for. They might just be slabs of metal with a ribbon attached, but every athlete here aches for one.

Image source, BBC Sport

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

It is clear to hear which nations have the most fans who have travelled for this opening ceremony and these Games.

Canada and China have had the biggest cheers so far.

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Cortina

Image source, Getty Images

To be fair to Brazil and their whacky outfits, they’ve livened the place up.

It’s been pretty quiet at the end of the parade until now but team Brazil came down dancing, cheering and high-fiving the spectators waiting at the barrier.

While the athletes do their parading, we'll also be looking ahead to the action in store and taking a peak at our archive of classic Winters action.

Meanwhile the Czech athletes have arrived in an extremely natty set of colours.

In general, I'd say there's more dancing at this athlete parade than I've seen previously.