Italy's flag bearer for the opening ceremony was figure skater Carolina Kostner.

Cortina d'Ampezzo had also been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics which were cancelled due to World War II.

Note: 'Deficit' refers to the amount of time behind the leader a competitor began the cross-country portion of the event.

Italicized numbers show the final deficit from the winner's finishing time.

Note: PQ indicates a skier was pre-qualified for the final, based on entry rankings.