Short track skaters named flag bearers as Hungary unveils 2026 Winter Olympic squad

Xinhua | Updated: 2026-01-25 19:58

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Members of Hungary's Winter Olympic team pose during an oath-taking ceremony for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan 24, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]

BUDAPEST -- Short track speed skaters Maja Somodi and Bence Nogradi will serve as Hungary's flag bearers during the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

President of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB), Zsolt Gyulay, made the announcement on Saturday during an oath-taking ceremony held at Sandor Palace, the official residence of the Hungarian President.

Hungary's short track speed skater Maja Somodi speaks to Xinhua during the ceremony. [Photo/Xinhua]

Somodi, who will make her Olympic debut, said she has no specific expectations for the Games.

"I am proud and excited to be one of the flag bearers of our team. It is my first time to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games. I just want to be there and enjoy the challenges," she said.

Addressing the ceremony, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok said that "there is no small team, only a Hungarian team."

"In sport, team size is never the true measure of success. Qualifying for the Olympic Games already represents elite-level performance. The most important is perseverance and discipline," Sulyok said.

Hungarian Olympic Committee president Zsolt Gyulay speaks during the ceremony. [Photo/Xinhua]

MOB President Gyulay noted that Hungary's winter sports delegation has achieved results to be proud of and now faces new challenges on the road to Milan-Cortina.

"I firmly believe that at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, our team will fulfill its mission with dignity and honor," Gyulay added. "We can also take pride in the fact that, despite many challenges, Hungary has never missed a Winter Olympic Games in the past 24 editions."

According to the MOB, Hungary has won a total of 544 Olympic medals, with 10 medals at the Winter Games, including two golds, over the past 130 years.

Adam Schmidt, State Secretary for Sports, said that athletes competing in Winter Olympic sports face, in many respects, far greater challenges than those in summer sports.

"Precisely for this reason, the fact that you are standing here today, having successfully qualified for the Olympic Games, is already an extraordinary achievement," Schmidt said.

The 2026 Games, featuring 116 events across 16 disciplines, will run from February 6 to 22.