Cross-country skier Matthew Smith and skeleton athlete Nicole Burger have been selected to carry the South African flag at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, which gets under way on Friday, 6th February, at venues spread across the two Italian locations.
Smith (35) and Burger (31) are the oldest members among the five athletes who will do duty for Team SA at the XXV Winter Olympics. This is the biggest delegation that the country has ever sent to a Winter Games. All five are experiencing their first Winter Olympics at senior level.
In making the announcement about the flag bearers, the President of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC), Barry Hendricks, congratulated the athletes and wished them well. “I’m delighted that we have five worthy athletes representing Team SA. Congratulations to all ahead of their first Winter Olympics, and a special note of congratulations to Matthew and Nicole who will carry our flag. It’s a huge life milestone for any athlete to lead their nation at the opening ceremony of any Games”, Hendricks said.
“With this being our biggest team ever at any Winter Games, the honour and memory is one that will last a lifetime. Carrying the flag will be an emotional moment for Matthew and Nicole. I urge them to embrace the occasion and continue to make themselves, their family and friends, and their country proud, on and off the field of competition”, he added.
Also adding her congratulations is the SASCOC CEO, Ms Nozipho Jafta, who had this to say: “For our athletes to have made it here through the qualification process, is a great testament to their resilience. Their presence has attracted a significant amount of positive media attention in South Africa and abroad; and we believe that this will push a lot more of our South African youngsters to dream bigger. We look forward to seeing them all donning the green and gold of Team SA on Friday.”
Smith and Burger were both born in South Africa, before relocating and qualifying for the biggest stage overseas. This is significant because their presence, and the expanded team of five, reflects the growth of winter sport within the country and highlights pathways being built for future generations.
Team SA’s other three athletes were born overseas. Malica Malherbe (British Columbia), Lara Markthaler (Germany), and Thomas Weir (Switzerland) are talented young athletes with bright Olympic futures and aged 21, 18 and 17, respectively.
Chef de Mission for Team SA in Milano Cortina, Alex Heath, himself a three-time Winter Olympian, shared his words of congratulation. “There is nothing quite like walking in the Opening Ceremony of your first Olympic Games. As an athlete I was part of three Opening ceremonies, and a further four as a coach. This will be my first as the head of the delegation, and I really look forward to celebrating the moment with our team on Friday”.
“The selection of Nicole and Matthew as flagbearers, acknowledges their achievements and the pioneering roles they play in our winter sports. We look forward to them inspiring the youth of our nation to get involved in the wonder that is snow sports”, added Heath.
Burger’s road to qualification required competing consistently against deeper winter sport nations, managing limited domestic infrastructure, and maintaining elite standards through determination and self-driven development.
Smith’s qualification in cross-country skiing represents endurance in its purest form. His results demonstrate improvement, maturity, and the mental strength required to perform in one of the Games’ most punishing endurance sports.
