Mikayel Mikayelyan to Compete in the Skiathlon at the 2026 Olympic Games

Today, February 8, 26-year-old skier Mikayel Mikayelyan will make his start at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games as part of the Armenian national team.

The Armenian athlete will compete in the skiathlon (10+10 km). The race will begin at 15:30 Yerevan time, with 75 athletes on the starting line.

A native of Ashotsk, Mikaelyan has represented Armenia on the international stage for many years, but this Olympic Games will be the final one of his career. Ahead of the competition, he stated that after finishing his competitive career he plans to focus on working within the Armenian Ski Federation.

This season, Mikayel actively competed in the Tour de Ski, but his preparation was overshadowed by a scandal: the athlete was fined for covering the sponsor inscription “azerbaijan.” This incident may have negatively affected his psychological condition ahead of the Olympics and clearly disrupted his preparation for the Games.

Mikayel Mikayelyan’s Olympic Performances

• 2018 — 79th place (15 km individual race)

• 2018 — 69th place (sprint)

• 2022 — 61st place (15 km individual race)

• 2022 — 47th place (skiathlon 15+15 km)

In addition, Mikayelyan competed at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games.

Race Favorites

The Beijing 2022 Olympic skiathlon champion Alexander Bolshunov and silver medalist Denis Spitsov of Russia will not take part in the race, as they failed to obtain neutral athlete status.

Bronze medalist of the 2022 Olympics Iivo Niskanen of Finland will start, but the main favorite is considered to be Johannes Klæbo. The Norwegian won all races at the 2025 World Championships and has topped the world rankings for the second consecutive season.

It is also known that on February 13, Mikayel Mikayelyan will compete in the individual race, which will mark another important milestone in his Olympic career.