Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Friday, 06 February 2026 23:26 / Updated Friday, 06 February 2026 23:31
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics was mostly a celebration, but it also offered some emotional moments. This was evident when the Ukrainian delegation appeared on the stage in Italy, causing many emotions.
They were greeted with deafening applause by the spectators at the San Siro stadium in Milan. The reason is, of course, a tragic one. The country has been at war for almost four years, since the Russian invasion. The Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022, four days after the previous Winter Olympics in Beijing had ended. “A sad finding,” said former top figure skater Mark Tuitert, who covered the opening ceremony for NOS.
The small delegation from Ukraine received public support. NOS commentator Erik van Dijk eloquently described: “Here the nation is marching for something more than sport, according to sportnieuws.nl.
Whistles during the opening ceremony
The fact that sport is, to a certain extent, politics was also evident in two other moments of the ceremony. Israel was received with mixed feelings because of the war in Gaza.
Ahead of the Milan and Cortina Olympics, there were calls for Israel to be excluded from participation because of the situation in Gaza. The International Olympic Committee has consistently defended Israel's participation in international tournaments.
Also, during the rise of the United States, there was a short concert of whistles. This wasn't about American athletes, it was about JD Vance. The present Deputy Prime Minister of the United States appeared on the screen, and this was not appreciated by the viewers.
Russia and Belarus are excluded from the Milan and Cortina Games because of the war in Ukraine. Some athletes from these two countries may participate in the Games under a neutral flag. They were not welcome at the opening ceremony, but they are allowed to participate in the sports competitions.
