BiH Olympic team travels to Italy, Muzaferija and Šljivić to carry BiH flag

(Patria) - The Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina today ceremonially presented and sent off the BiH Olympic team to the "Milan-Cortina 2026" Winter Olympic Games. The team consists of athletes from alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, along with their coaches and support staff.

In alpine skiing, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be represented by Elvedina Muzaferija, Esma Alić, and Marko Šljivić.
Accompanying them are coaches Nicola Quaquarelli, Edhem Bajrić, Faris Zuhrić, and Željko Šljivić. Physiotherapist Petra Baumkirchner will oversee the team's preparations and health support.

In cross-country skiing, Strahinja Erić and Teodora Delipara will compete, accompanied by coaches Mladen Plakalović and Dragan Jeftović.

The best BiH skier, Elvedina Muzaferija, will have her first appearance on February 8th in the downhill event, while Strahinja Erić will compete on February 10th in the sprint discipline. Following that, on February 12th, Elvedina Muzaferija will compete again in the super-G discipline, and Teodora Delipara in the 10 km discipline, with Strahinja Erić competing in the same discipline the following day.

Marko Šljivić will compete in the giant slalom on February 14th, and on the same discipline the next day, Elvedina Muzaferija and Esma Alić will compete. Šljivić will then ski in the slalom on February 17th, while Esma Alić will compete in the same discipline the following day.

The President of the Olympic Committee of BiH, Izet Rađo, stated that the Olympic Committee of BiH - the Presidency, the Executive Board, and the administration have worked extremely diligently in the past period to provide athletes with everything they needed to meet the norms and qualify for the Olympic Games. He emphasized that the goal is to provide athletes with the best conditions for achieving top results, but also for the most important role - to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina with dignity on the international stage.

"We are all aware that there is no functional sports system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is precisely why we want to once again highlight the strength, courage, and talent of our Olympians, who repeatedly succeed in bringing Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Olympic Games – whether winter or summer – shoulder to shoulder with countries that have incomparably larger budgets. Nevertheless, their dedication and immense heart enable them to represent our country in the best possible way," said Rađo.

He added that it is impossible to expect top results until an integrated sports system is established in the country, for which political institutions and ministries managing public funds are responsible.

"The current system has not produced a single result. Everything that has been achieved – top results and participation in the Olympic Games – is solely the merit of the athletes, their families, clubs, and federations," Rađo stated.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Sarah Eti Castellani, stated that in nine days Italy will have the honor of lighting the Olympic and Paralympic flame, emphasizing that the upcoming Games will be the fourth Winter Olympic Games that the country is hosting. She also highlighted that these will be the most geographically widespread Games to date, as competitions will be held in more than ten venues across three different regions.

The Head of Mission and Secretary General of the Olympic Committee of BiH, Said Fazlagić, stated that the BiH delegation will depart on February 2nd, a few days before the start of the Games, due to mandatory security training that athletes must complete before the start of the competition.

Fazlagić added that, upon the proposal of the Ski Federation and by decision of the Executive Committee of the Olympic Committee of BiH, they decided that Elvedina Muzaferija and Marko Šljivić will carry the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the opening ceremony.

Strahinja Erić pointed out that these are his second Olympic Games and that he is very happy to have the opportunity to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the world's largest sporting event again, and he hopes to present himself in the best light and achieve his best Olympic result.

Esma Alić emphasized that it is a great honor for her to defend the country's colors at the Winter Olympics for the second time, reminding that the qualification process was extremely difficult, but that she proudly stands with her teammates and believes they will all give their maximum, especially since she will compete in the alpine combined, slalom, and giant slalom.

Debutante Teodora Delipara stated that she will participate in two disciplines and will make maximum effort to achieve the best possible placement, adding that the fact that she achieved qualifications at the end of December gives her additional motivation.

Debutante Marko Šljivić said that he will compete in slalom and giant slalom, and that he will do everything to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the best possible light and within his capabilities.

Elvedina Muzaferija, in a video address, thanked the Olympic Committee of BiH for their great support during preparations, emphasizing that she feels good and healthy, which gives her optimism that if she skis as she does in training, she could achieve very good results.

The Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina will be held from February 6th to 22nd.