# 1998 Winter Olympics national flag bearers

During the Parade of Nations section of the 1998 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from each country participating in the Olympics paraded in the arena. The flag from each team was borne by a sportsperson from that country chosen either by the National Olympic Committee or by the athletes themselves to represent their country. Due the rules stipulated by the Olympic Charter (and political issues between China and Chinese Taipei along the two Koreas) at the time the Organizing Committee opted for the option of the protocol order in English in as a sign of goodwill associated with the concept applied by the Organizing Committee, instead of host nation's language, Japanese. Greece led the parade, followed by Andorra. Had the parade followed the Japanese characters, Greece would have been followed by Iceland, and Russian Federation would have been the penultimate country before Japan. One sumo wrestler and one yukiko (lit. snow children) which bears a country name sign marched before each delegation. Some of famous sumo wrestlers such as Takanonami and Wakanohana accompanied the teams. The yukikos also took part in several other segments in the ceremony.
| Order | Nation | Japanese | Roman transliteration | Flag bearer | Sport |
| 1 | Greece (GRE) | ギリシャ | Girisha | Vasilios Dimitriadis | Alpine skiing |
| 2 | Andorra (AND) | アンドラ | Andora | Victor Gómez | Alpine skiing |
| 3 | Argentina (ARG) | アルゼンチン | Aruzenchin | Carola Calello | Alpine skiing |
| 4 | Armenia (ARM) | アルメニア | Arumenia | Alla Mikayelyan | Cross-country skiing |
| 5 | Australia (AUS) | オーストラリア | Ōsutoraria | Richard Nizielski | Short track speed skating |
| 6 | Austria (AUT) | オーストリア | Ōsutoria | Emese Hunyady | Speed skating |
| 7 | Azerbaijan (AZE) | アゼルバイジャン | Azerubaijan | Yuliya Vorobyova | Figure skating |
| 8 | Belarus (BLR) | ベラルーシ | Berarūshi | Aleksandr Popov | Biathlon |
| 9 | Belgium (BEL) | ベルギー | Berugī | Conrad Alleblas | Chef de Mission |
| 10 | Bermuda (BER) | バミューダ | Bamyūda | John Hoskins | Chef de Mission |
| 11 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) | ボスニア・ヘルツェゴビナ | Bosunia Herutsuegobina | Mario Franjić | Bobsleigh |
| 12 | Brazil (BRA) | ブラジル | Burajiru | Marcelo Apovian | Alpine skiing |
| 13 | Bulgaria (BUL) | ブルガリア | Burugaria | Lyubomir Popov | Alpine skiing |
| 14 | Canada (CAN) | カナダ | Kanada | Jean-Luc Brassard | Freestyle skiing |
| 15 | Chile (CHI) | チリ | Chiri | Duncan Grob | Alpine skiing |
| 16 | China (CHN) | 中華人民共和国 | Chūka Jinmin Kyōwakoku | Zhao Hongbo | Figure skating |
| 17 | Croatia (CRO) | クロアチア | Kuroachia | Janica Kostelić | Alpine skiing |
| 18 | Cyprus (CYP) | キプロス | Kipurosu | Andreas Vasili | Alpine skiing |
| 19 | Czech Republic (CZE) | チェコ | Cheko | Lubomír Buchta | Cross-country skiing |
| 20 | Denmark (DEN) | デンマーク | Denmāku | Helena Blach Lavrsen | Curling |
| 21 | Estonia (EST) | エストニア | Esutonia | Kalju Ojaste | Biathlon |
| 22 | Finland (FIN) | フィンランド | Finrando | Janne Ahonen | Ski jumping |
| 23 | Macedonia (MKD) | マケドニア旧ユーゴスラビア共和国 | Makedonia Kyū-Yūgosurabia Kyōwakoku | Gjoko Dineski | Cross-country skiing |
| 24 | France (FRA) | フランス | Furansu | Philippe Candeloro | Figure skating |
| 25 | Georgia (GEO) | グルジア | Gurujia | Sofia Akhmeteli | Alpine skiing |
| 26 | Germany (GER) | ドイツ | Doitsu | Jochen Behle | Cross-country skiing |
| 27 | Great Britain (GBR) | イギリス | Igirisu | Mike Dixon | Biathlon |
| 28 | Hungary (HUN) | ハンガリー | Hangarī | Krisztina Egyed | Speed skating |
| 29 | Iceland (ISL) | アイスランド | Aisurando | Theódóra Mathiesen | Alpine skiing |
| 30 | India (IND) | インド | Indo | Shiva Keshavan | Luge |
| 31 | Iran (IRI) | イラン | Iran | Hassan Shemshaki | Alpine skiing |
| 32 | Ireland (IRL) | アイルランド | Airurando | Terry McHugh | Bobsleigh |
| 33 | Israel (ISR) | イスラエル | Isuraeru | Michael Shmerkin | Figure skating |
| 34 | Italy (ITA) | イタリア | Itaria | Gerda Weissensteiner | Luge |
| 35 | Jamaica (JAM) | ジャマイカ | Jamaika | Ricky McIntosh | Bobsleigh |
| 36 | Kazakhstan (KAZ) | カザフスタン | Kazafusutan | Vladimir Smirnov | Cross-country skiing |
| 37 | Kenya (KEN) | ケニア | Kenia | Philip Boit | Cross-country skiing |
| 38 | South Korea (KOR) | 大韓民国 | Daikan Minkoku | Hur Seung-Wook | Alpine skiing |
| 39 | Kyrgyzstan (KGZ) | キルギスタン | Kirugisutan | Aleksandr Tropnikov | Biathlon |
| 40 | Latvia (LAT) | ラトビア | Ratobia | Sandis Prūsis | Bobsleigh |
| 41 | Liechtenstein (LIE) | リヒテンシュタイン | Rihitenshutain | Tamara Schädler | Alpine skiing |
| 42 | Lithuania (LTU) | リトアニア | Ritoania | Povilas Vanagas | Figure skating |
| 43 | Luxembourg (LUX) | ルクセンブルク | Rukusenburuku | Patrick Schmit | Figure skating |
| 44 | Moldova (MDA) | モルドバ | Morudoba | Ion Bucsa | Biathlon |
| 45 | Monaco (MON) | モナコ | Monako | Gilbert Bessi | Bobsleigh |
| 46 | Mongolia (MGL) | モンゴル | Mongoru | Boldyn Sansarbileg | Short track speed skating |
| 47 | Netherlands (NED) | オランダ | Oranda | Carla Zijlstra | Speed skating |
| 48 | New Zealand (NZL) | ニュージーランド | Nyūjīrando | Peter Henry | Bobsleigh |
| 49 | Norway (NOR) | ノルウェー | Noruwē | Espen Bredesen | Ski jumping |
| 50 | North Korea (PRK) | 朝鮮民主主義人民共和国 | Chōsen Minshushugi Jinmin Kyōwakoku | Yun Chol | Short track speed skating |
| 51 | Poland (POL) | ポーランド | Pōrando | Jan Ziemianin | Biathlon |
| 52 | Portugal (POR) | ポルトガル | Porutogaru | Mafalda Pereira | Freestyle skiing |
| 53 | Puerto Rico (PUR) | プエルトリコ | Puertoriko | José Ferrer | Bobsleigh |
| 54 | Romania (ROU) | ルーマニア | Rūmania | Mihaela Dascălu | Speed skating |
| 55 | Russia (RUS) | ロシア | Roshia | Aleksey Prokurorov | Cross-country skiing |
| 56 | Slovakia (SVK) | スロバキア | Surobakia | Ivan Bátory | Cross-country skiing |
| 57 | Slovenia (SLO) | スロベニア | Surobenia | Primož Peterka | Ski jumping |
| 58 | South Africa (RSA) | 南アフリカ | Minami-Afurika | Shirene Human | Figure skating |
| 59 | Spain (ESP) | スペイン | Supein | Juan Jesús Gutiérrez | Cross-country skiing |
| 60 | Sweden (SWE) | スウェーデン | Suwēden | Torgny Mogren | Cross-country skiing |
| 61 | Switzerland (SUI) | スイス | Suisu | Guido Acklin | Bobsleigh |
| 62 | Chinese Taipei (TPE) | チャイニーズ・タイペイ | Chainīzu Taipei | Sun Kuang-Ming | Bobsleigh |
| 63 | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | トリニダード・トバゴ | Torinidādo Tobago | Curtis Harry | Bobsleigh |
| 64 | Turkey (TUR) | トルコ | Toruko | Arif Alaftargil | Alpine skiing |
| 65 | Ukraine (UKR) | ウクライナ | Ukuraina | Andriy Deryzemlya | Biathlon |
| 66 | United States (USA) | アメリカ合衆国 | Amerika Gasshūkoku | Eric Flaim | Short track speed skating |
| 67 | Uruguay (URU) | ウルグアイ | Uruguai | Gabriel Hottegindre | Alpine skiing |
| 68 | Uzbekistan (UZB) | ウズベキスタン | Uzubekisutan | Komil Urunbayev | Alpine skiing |
| 69 | Venezuela (VEN) | ベネズエラ | Benezuera | Iginia Boccalandro | Luge |
| 70 | Virgin Islands (ISV) | バージン諸島 | Bājin-Shotō | Paul Zar | Bobsleigh |
| 71 | FR Yugoslavia (YUG) | ユーゴスラビア | Yūgosurabia | Marko Đorđević | Alpine skiing |
| 72 | Japan (JPN) | 日本 | Nippon | Hiroyasu Shimizu | Speed skating |