The official opening ceremony of the XXV Winter Olympic Games has taken place at the famous San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy.

According to reports from Offsideplus.az, the event was organized with great splendor. Figure skater Vladimir Litvintsev and alpine skier Anastasiya Papatoma represented Azerbaijan as the nation's flag bearers during the ceremony.

It is worth noting that the preliminary competitions of the Olympics actually began on February 4 with the mixed doubles curling tournament, followed by the start of the women’s hockey tournament on February 5. During these Games hosted by Italy, athletes will compete for a total of 116 medal sets across 16 different sports. A notable addition to this year’s program is ski mountaineering, which has been introduced as a new Olympic discipline featuring men’s and women’s sprints as well as team events.

Regarding the schedule for the Azerbaijani athletes, Vladimir Litvintsev will begin his competition in the figure skating short program on February 10 in Milan. Anastasiya Papatoma is set to compete in the giant slalom on February 15, followed by the slalom event three days later. These competitions will be held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy's renowned alpine skiing hub.

The Olympic Games will conclude on February 22.