2026 Winter Olympics: Armenia’s Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin figure skating duo compete in free program (PHOTOS)

The Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin pair skating duo representing Armenia performed beautifully and impressively in the free program at the 2026 Winter Olympics’ figure skating competition in Milan.

They competed in the second subgroup, performed to Indian motifs and song, and scored 114.39 points. The judges rated their technique 59.88 points, and the complexity 55.51 points.

In the total points earned in the short program, the Armenian Olympic pair garnered 180.66 points.

The Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin pair had qualified for the free program by placing 12th in the short program on February 15.

As reported earlier, in the short program, the pair had performed the eponymous program under the song “Artsakh,” written by renowned Armenian composer Ara Gevorgyan.

Azerbaijan had filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the name of the aforesaid Armenian Olympic figure skating pair's short program, "Artsakh," the Armenian word for Nagorno-Karabakh. The IOC had upheld the complaint and changed the name of this program in the official program list as "Music by Ara Gevorgyan."