Italian
The Olympic Flame has been lit and will travel across Greece for nine days. It will arrive in Rome on December 4th before starting its journey to the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games
OLYMPIA (GREECE) – An emotional ceremony full of meaning. This morning at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the cradle of the five rings, the Olympic Flame was lit in anticipation of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, scheduled from February 6 to 22 next year.
The event began with the performance of the three anthems (Olympic, Italian, and Greek) sung by the children’s choir of the Italian School of Athens. Present were the most important institutional and sports figures. From the President of CONI, Luciano Buonfiglio, to the Vice President, Diana Bianchedi, also the chief strategy planning & legacy officer of MICO2026. Also present were the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, CIO members Ivo Ferriani and Federica Pellegrini, the Honorary member, Francesco Ricci Bitti, along with the delegation from the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation.
The Mayor of Ancient Olympia, Aristides Panagiotopoulos, then took the floor for an introductory greeting, welcoming the large audience of authorities. It was yet another opportunity to reaffirm the authentic meanings that have always characterized the universal message of the most important sporting event on a global level, in the name of peace and brotherhood.
It was then the turn of the President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation and CIO member, Giovanni Malagò, who emphasized how “the Italian spirit will shine in the flame of the torch, igniting all of Italy and uniting the world in the common goal at the heart of Milano Cortina: to harness the timeless power of the Olympic Games to create new opportunities for new generations through sport. It will be a privilege to carry this torch once again along the banks of the Tiber River and bring it to Rome, retracing the same path as twenty years ago during the Torino Games. Every step will remind us of the importance of sport in breaking down barriers and creating a more sustainable future together.”
Very emotional the new President of the CIO, Kirsty Coventry, at her first lighting ceremony: “I shouldn’t get emotional but this place is special. In a divided world, like the one we live in, the Games are a symbolic moment and it is our duty and responsibility to ensure that athletes from all over the world can arrive peacefully, inspiring the hopes and dreams of those who follow us around the world. This is the Olympic spirit: to elevate the values that guide us.”
The words of the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Isidoros Kouvelos, provided the soundtrack to the most anticipated and emotional moment. After being lit in recent days at the Temple of Hera under the rays of the sun following the protocol of the ancestral rite, the Olympic Flame entered the Museum in the hands of High Priestess Mary Mina. There, accompanied by the Priestesses, it was handed over to the first torchbearer Petros Ggaidatzis, bronze medalist in rowing, lightweight double, at Paris 2024.
The Greek athlete was also handed an olive branch and once outside shared the torch with cross-country skiing champion Stefania Belmondo while a white dove was released into the sky of Olympia. After a short route and a stop in front of the tomb of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Games, the Flame was passed to the third torchbearer, the Italian luge legend Armin Zoeggeler.
The Flame will now travel through seven regions of Greece, passing from hand to hand for nine days, covering about 2,200 km. The last torchbearer on Hellenic soil will be the silver medalist in water polo at Athens 2024 Aikaterini Oikonomopoulou. From there, on December 4th, the Handing Over Ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium will take place in the Greek capital, where a delegation from the Organizing Committee of Milano Cortina 2026 will officially receive the Olympic Flame and then take it to Italy on the same day.
In the late afternoon, the sacred fire of Olympia will finally touch Italian soil in Rome, from where, two days later, it will begin its 63-day journey. 60 stages over 12,000 km, crossing 110 provinces and over 300 municipalities. The Flame will conclude its journey on the evening of February 6, 2026, in Milan, with the Opening Ceremony at San Siro Stadium.
The Flame will arrive in Rome in the late afternoon of December 4 and, two days later, a 63-day journey will begin, with 60 stops over 12,000 km, crossing 110 provinces and over 300 municipalities. The route will conclude on the evening of February 6, 2026, in Milan, with the Opening Ceremony at San Siro Stadium.
Photo Credits: IOC/Maja Hitij/CONI
