Armenians at the Winter Olympic Games: From Gold in 1956 to the 2026 Olympics in Italy

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games, held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, have become another important milestone in the history of Armenian participation in global winter sports. Armenia is represented at the Games by five athletes competing under the national flag, while four more athletes of Armenian origin are competing as members of other national teams.

The history of Armenians at the Winter Olympic Games spans 70 years and brings together different eras, states, and sporting traditions.

This history is rich in events but remains little known to the wider public. Below is a complete and systematic overview of Armenian participation in the Winter Olympic movement — from the debut in 1956 to the 2026 Olympics.

The First Armenians at the Winter Olympic Games: 1956

The history of Armenian participation in the Winter Olympics begins in 1956, when the Games were held for the first time in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. That edition marked a significant expansion of the Winter Olympic movement, as the national teams of the USSR and Iran made their debuts.

Armenians on the Iranian National Team

One of the first three participants in Winter Olympic history to represent Iran was alpine skier Benik Amirian, an athlete of Armenian origin.

• Downhill — 44th place

• Slalom and Giant Slalom — Did not finish

Iran later missed the 1960 Olympics but returned in 1964 and 1968. Once again, an Armenian athlete competed — Ovaness Meguerdounian, who:

• Served as the flag bearer of the Iranian national team

• Finished between 40th and 73rd place in alpine skiing events

The First Armenian Olympic Champion

At the same 1956 Games, ice hockey goaltender Grigory Mkrtchyan competed as part of the USSR national team. The Soviet team won the gold medals, and Mkrtchyan entered history as the first Armenian Winter Olympic champion.

Today, the Armenian national ice hockey championship bears his name — the Grigory Mkrtchyan Cup — highlighting the importance of his legacy for Armenian sport.

Armenians Under Other National Flags

Armenian athletes have regularly appeared at the Winter Olympic Games as members of other national teams.

Haig Oundjian — the first Armenian figure skater to compete at the Olympics.

• 1968 Games, Great Britain

• 17th place

He later became a bronze medalist at the European Championships and subsequently headed the British Figure Skating Federation, holding senior positions in professional sport. In addition, Haig is a co-owner of the Gibraltar-based football club Magpies and served as vice-president of Watford FC.

Vicki Movsessian — an Armenian athlete on the United States women’s ice hockey team and an Olympic champion.

• 1998 Olympics, Nagano

• Gold medal

Bobsledder Carlos Saleisian (Argentina, 1952 Olympics) is sometimes mentioned separately; however, there is no reliable confirmation of his Armenian origin.

The Debut of Independent Armenia

Armenia itself first participated in the Winter Olympic Games in 1994 in Lillehammer. The country was represented by two bobsledders from the United States — Joe Almasian and Ken Topalian — who finished 36th in the two-man bobsleigh event.

These Games were the first for Armenia as an independent state, and since then the country has consistently participated in all Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

From the 1998 Olympics, Armenia Began Competing with Larger Teams

1998 Olympics — 7 athletes

• Arsen Harutyunyan (Alpine skiing) — 27th place in slalom

• Alla Mikaelyan (Cross-country skiing) — 58th place in the 30 km freestyle

• Maria Krasiltseva / Alexander Chestnykh (Figure skating) — 19th place in pair skating

• Ksenia Smetanenko / Samuel Gazelyan (Figure skating) — 24th place in ice dancing

• Armen Rafaelyan (Freestyle skiing) — 19th place in moguls

2002 Olympics — 9 athletes

• Arsen Harutyunyan (Alpine skiing) — Did not finish in slalom

• Vanesa Rakerdjian (Alpine skiing) — 47th place in giant slalom, 29th place in slalom

• Yorgo Alexandrou / Dan Djangigian (Bobsleigh) — 33rd place in two-man

• Aram Hadjiyan (Cross-country skiing):

  • 66th place — 15 km

  • 62nd place — 30 km

  • 56th place — 50 km

  • 71st place — 20 km pursuit

  • 63rd place — sprint

• Margarita Nikolian (Cross-country skiing):

  • 56th place — 10 km

  • Did not finish — 15 km

  • 69th place — 10 km pursuit

  • 58th place — sprint

• Maria Krasiltseva / Artyom Znachkov (Figure skating) — 20th place in pair skating

2006 Olympics — 5 athletes

• Abraham Sarkahyan (Alpine skiing) — 45th place in slalom

• Edmond Khachatryan (Cross-country skiing) — 82nd place in 15 km, 80th place in sprint

• Hovhannes Sargsyan (Cross-country skiing) — 88th place in 15 km, 79th place in sprint

• Anastasia Grebenkina / Vazgen Azoyan (Figure skating) — 20th place in ice dancing

2010 Olympics — 4 athletes

• Arsen Nersisyan and Ani Matilda Serebekyan (Alpine skiing) — competed in giant slalom and slalom but did not finish

• Kristine Khachatryan (Cross-country skiing) — 75th place in 10 km

• Sergey Mikaelyan (Cross-country skiing) — 70th place in 15 km

2014 Olympics — 4 athletes

• Arman Serebrakyan (Alpine skiing) — 46th place in giant slalom, 35th place in slalom

• Sergey Mikaelyan (Cross-country skiing) — 46th place in 15 km and 30 km

• Artur Egoyan (Cross-country skiing) — 63rd place in 30 km

• Katya Galstyan (Cross-country skiing) — 61st place in 10 km

2018 Olympics — 3 athletes

• Ashot Karapetyan (Alpine skiing) — 42nd place in slalom

• Mikael Mikaelyan (Cross-country skiing) — 83rd place in 15 km

• Katya Galstyan (Cross-country skiing) — 72nd place in 10 km

2022 Olympics — 6 athletes

• Harutyun Harutyunyan (Alpine skiing) — Did not finish in giant slalom

• Mikael Mikaelyan (Cross-country skiing) — 61st place in 15 km, 47th place in 30 km

• Katya Galstyan (Cross-country skiing) — 74th place in 10 km, 80th place in sprint

• Angelina Muradyan (Cross-country skiing) — 94th place in 10 km

• Tina Garabedian / Simon Prou-Senecal (Figure skating) — 18th place in ice dancing

The 2026 Olympics: A New Chapter in History

Armenia’s participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo continues this historical trajectory. Five athletes competing under the national flag and four Armenians representing other countries confirm the steady presence of Armenians in global winter sports.

Armenian Team at the 2026 Olympics:

• Harutyun Harutyunyan — Alpine skiing

• Mikael Mikaelyan — Cross-country skiing

• Katya Galstyan — Cross-country skiing

• Karina Akopova / Nikita Rakhmanin — Figure skating

Armenians Representing Other Countries:

• Yannos Kouymdjan — Cyprus, Alpine skiing

• Terence Tchiknavorian — France, Ski cross

• Melvin Tchiknavorian — France, Ski cross

• Adelia Petrosyan — Russia, Figure skating

At the current Olympics, there are medal hopes for the Tchiknavorian brothers representing France, as well as for Adelia Petrosyan. Certain expectations are also associated with the Armenian pair in figure skating.

Conclusion

From the first appearances in 1956 to the 2026 Olympics, Armenian athletes have remained part of Olympic history, representing different countries, generations, and sporting schools. This story is not only about results, but also about continuity, identity, and the contribution of Armenians to global winter sports.