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Armenia’s Pair Skaters Make Historic Olympic Debut, Finish 14th Overall Among World’s Top Duos in First Appearance
Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin ranked 14th out of 16 pairs who qualified for the free program at their first Winter Olympic Games. Competing at the world’s biggest winter sports stage, the Armenian duo delivered two programs over two days of competition. In the free skate, they performed to music from the film Slumdog Millionaire . During the routine, they made several mistakes. Akopova fell twice on jumps, which had a clear impact on their final result. Despite the erro
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 16
Armenia’s Pair Skates to “Artsakh,” Delivering Symbolic Olympic Program
Armenia’s figure skating pair Karina Akopyan and Nikita Rakhmanin took to the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, delivering a short program that blended athletic precision with powerful cultural symbolism. Representing Armenia on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages, the duo performed to “Artsakh” by composer Ara Gevorgyan, a choice that immediately resonated with Armenian audiences worldwide and drew significant attention across social media platforms. The duo e
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 15
Rafael Arutyunyan and Ari Zakarian Behind Ilia Malinin’s Gold-Winning Olympic Run
At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, Ilia Malinin — working with Armenian coach Rafael Arutyunyan — helped Team USA win the gold medal in the figure skating team event. The United States finished with the highest score overall in the combination of men’s, women’s, pairs, and ice dance skating. Malinin’s strong performance in the men’s segment gave the U.S. the one extra point needed to secure the gold ahead of other countries. Ilia Malinin, 21, is one of the
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 10
Azerbaijan Complaint Leads to Removal of ‘Artsakh’ Title From Olympic Records
International sports bodies removed the title of the song Artsakh from official Olympic records for Armenia’s pair figure skaters after reviewing a complaint submitted by Azerbaijan, a decision critics say amounts to political pressure on cultural expression at the Games. The issue emerged ahead of the figure skating competition at the 25th Winter Olympic Games, where Armenian skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin are scheduled to perform their short program to Artsakh,
From Armenia’s “Siberia” to the Olympic Stage: Athletes Train in Extreme Cold Ahead of 2026 Games
With the Winter Olympics approaching, Armenian athletes are intensifying their training in some of the country’s harshest conditions, determined to compete at the highest level on the world stage. Journalist Ani Khachatryan of The Armenian Report recently traveled to Ashotsk in Armenia’s Shirak region to document preparations by Olympic hopefuls, cross-country skiers Mikayel Mikayelyan and Katya Galstyan. Ashotsk is widely known as the coldest area in Armenia and is often ref
Armenian Olympic Figure Skaters Denied UK Visas, Forced to Withdraw From European Championships
Figure skating pair Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin will not take part in the European Figure Skating Championship after failing to receive visas from the United Kingdom. The athletes represent Armenia and were preparing to travel for the competition, but the visa process was never completed. After the situation became public, The Armenian Report contacted the athletes to clarify what had happened. They confirmed that the main issue was the lack of any response from the B
The Armenian Report Team
Jan 13
Armenian Ski Athletes Earned 2026 Olympic Spots Without Government Funding
The president of the Armenian Ski Federation has publicly confirmed that the federation will fully cover a fine issued to national team skier Mikayel Mikayelyan following a World Cup incident in Italy, voicing support for the athlete’s decision to cover the word “Azerbaijan” on his competition uniform. Gagik Sargsyan, president of the Armenian Ski Federation, said the federation stands behind Mikayelyan and will pay the fine in full once it is officially issued. “I welcome Mi
