Mikaël Kingsbury and Marielle Thompson, freestyle skiers and Olympic champions, will be Team Canada’s opening ceremony flag bearers at the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced Wednesday. This is Kingsbury’s and Thompson’s fourth Olympic Games.
“Marielle and Mikaël’s results speak for themselves, but this honour is really about who they’ve been day in, day out throughout their careers,” said Jennifer Heil, Team Canada’s Chef de Mission, in a statement.
Kingsbury, 33, competes in men’s moguls. The Deux-Montagnes, Que., native is the most accomplished moguls athlete of all time, holding the record for most Moguls World Cup and Overall Freestyle World Cup titles. Entering the Olympics, Kingsbury has 100 World Cup wins (a record) and 143 podiums. He is a nine-time world champion and has three Olympic medals. Kingsbury captured his elusive gold medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Games, with a score of 86.63. He won silver medals in Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022.
Kingsbury was sidelined with a left groin injury to begin the 2025-26 moguls season. But he captured his 100th World Cup win in Val Saint-Côme, Que., his first competition of the season. He is one of Canada’s most decorated athletes.
100 World Cup Wins for Kingsbury! 🤩 🇨🇦
Mikael Kingsbury made history in Val St. Come when he won his 100th FIS moguls world cup title! The veteran Canadian skier will now set his sights on Milano Cortina 2026 where he hopes to return to the top of the podium! 🎿 pic.twitter.com/F4owDorCfW
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) January 14, 2026
“Being named flag bearer is one of the greatest honours I’ve ever received,” Kingsbury said. “I’ll try to enjoy it all, live in the moment as best I can, because I know it’s going to go by really fast, and it’s something I’ll be able to remember for the rest of my life.”
Thompson, 33, competes in women’s ski cross. The Whistler, B.C., native won Olympic gold at the Sochi 2014 Games, outlasting her compatriot Kelsey Serwa, Sweden’s Anna Holmlund and France’s Ophélie David. Thompson is looking for her third Olympic medal in Milan Cortina after capturing silver at the Beijing 2022 Games.
Thompson was the 2019 world champion and a four-time FIS World Cup Crystal Globe winner as the highest-ranked athlete in ski cross. Like Kingsbury, Thompson is also coming back from injury. At the Feb. 28, 2025, World Cup event in Gudauri, Georgia, Thompson suffered a ligament tear in her right fibula, requiring surgery. She is no stranger to returning from injury, as Thompson competed at the Beijing 2022 Games less than a year after tearing her ACL.
Marielle Thompson celebrates winning a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. (Lars Baron / Getty Images)
“Being asked to carry the Canadian flag is one of the highest honours in my Olympic journey,” Thompson said. “There are so many amazing athletes to select from, so to be chosen is really kind of unbelievable, but just very special.”
Kingsbury and Thompson are Canada’s 27th and 28th Winter Olympics opening ceremony flag bearers, dating back to the Chamonix 1924 Games. The men’s moguls competition is Feb. 12, while women’s ski cross is Feb. 20.
The Milan Cortina Games opening ceremony is Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. ET.