The National Olympic Committee of the Azerbaijani Republic was created in 1992 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee on 1 January 1993. Azerbaijan has sent delegations to every Olympics since the 1996 Summer Olympics, first entering the Winter Olympics in Nagano in 1998. While the nation has won many medals in the Summer Olympics, as of the close of the Vancouver Olympics, they have never medalled in the Winter Olympics. The Azerbaijani delegation to Vancouver consisted of two alpine skiers, Gaia Bassani Antivari and Jedrij Notz. Fuad Guliyev, an official, was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony, while Konul Nurullayera, the chef de mission, performed the flag bearer duties for the closing ceremony.