Moguls veteran Matt Graham will lead the Australian team as joint flag bearer at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, but his parents will watch from a different venue 250km away. Graham, who won silver in Pyeongchang in 2018, was named alongside defending Olympic champion Jakara Anthony for the honour in his fourth and likely final Games.
For the first time, the opening ceremony will be held concurrently at four locations: Milan, Livigno, Predazzo and Cortina. Graham will march at Livigno’s Snow Park, while his parents Steve and Debbie will be at the main venue at Milan’s San Siro stadium. After missing the Beijing Games due to Covid-19 restrictions, they quickly booked tickets for Italy, but the flag bearer announcement came too late for them to change plans.
“I think they’ll watch the opening ceremony in Milan,” Graham said from Livigno. “In some ways it’s a little bit frustrating but I know they’re going to be there in spirit.” His wife Jess and baby daughter Ada are also flying from Sydney but will not arrive in time.
Australia’s chef de mission Alisa Camplin praised both athletes, calling Anthony “the epitome of poise and excellence” and Graham a “long-term leader” who competed in Beijing with a fractured collarbone. Anthony, at her third Games, aims to become the first Australian to successfully defend a Winter Olympic title after her gold in women’s moguls in 2022.
