Press releases

MINSK, 4 February (BelTA) – Belarus’ national flag will be carried by 2010 Vancouver Olympic champion Alexei Grishin, freestyle skiing, at the official opening ceremony of the 22^nd Winter Olympics in Sochi, BelTA learnt from the press service of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus.

The opening ceremony of the Games will take place in Sochi on 7 February. The start of the ceremony is at 20:14 local time. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Belarus 1 TV channel.

Alexei Grishin was born in Minsk on 18 June 1979. In 1984 he went in for artistic gymnastics and later took up freestyle skiing. He became an athlete-instructor of the Sports and Tourism Ministry of Belarus in 1995. Alexei Grishin took part in his first World Cup in 1997. The athlete was named international master of sport in 1998 and honored master of sport in 2001. Alexei Grishin took his champion title in freestyle skiing in 2001. A year later the freestyler claimed bronze at the Olympics in Salt Lake City, the U.S. Alexei Grishin picked up gold at the 21^st Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010. The athlete also has two World Cup silvers and a bronze to his credit.

The Belarusian flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was ice hockey player Oleg Antonenko.