Greece's Olympic Team looks to skier Alexandros Ioannis Ginnis for its first medal in the Winter Games starting in the Italian Alps.

Here's what to know about the Parade of Nations in the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony and how the country order is determined.

The Winter Olympics began with a rare dual-city opening in Italy, with Greece leading tradition at the 25th Winter Games.

Greece, as always, will be the first country introduced in the Parade of Nations for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

Americans who top the podium at the Milan Cortina Games will be in line for a $37,500 bonus. Their competitors could collect as much as $800,000.

Twenty years ago, at the end of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Bocelli performed an original song, "Because We Believe (Ama Credi E Vai)." This time, he opted for an equally stirring song, one that's famous the world over, even being covered by a puppet turtle.

But, a handful of countries are surprising analysts and ranking higher than expected. One of those countries is Japan, which sits at No. 10 in the medal count as of the end of the Games on Thursday. Another one is Australia, which only has one lone gold medal, but that still puts them at No. 14 on the ranking.

Everything to know about this cherished tradition.

In the last Olympics, the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, the U.S. went second-to-last as athletes paraded down the Seine River. The logic there was similar: Los Angeles is hosting the next summer Olympics in 2028.

These historic Olympic venues are still open to visitors, offering a rare chance to explore sites that have hosted iconic moments in sports history.