The Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games received the official Olympic flame from Greek organizers at the historic marble stadium in Athens, the birthplace of the first modern Olympics almost 130 years ago. The flame will now journey to Italy, where it will embark on a 12,000-kilometer relay across all 110 Italian provinces over 63 days, culminating in the opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Stadium on Feb. 6.
This marks Italy’s first time hosting the flame in two decades, with 10,000 torchbearers set to participate in the relay. Committee president Giovanni Malago expressed gratitude for the honor and highlighted the symbolic significance of receiving the flame at the iconic stadium.
Despite the forecasted rainstorms, the ceremony proceeded albeit shortened, with a mix of Greek and Italian performances delighting the few spectators in attendance. The flame, after a night at the Parthenon temple, was carried into the Panathenaic stadium by Greek athlete Elena Xenaki, igniting another cauldron alongside the women’s national water polo team.
The Olympic flame was ignited in Ancient Olympia using a concave mirror, a tradition that originated from Greek-German collaboration before the 1936 Olympics. The handover ceremony saw the flame pass from Greece’s Olympic Committee president to the Milan Cortina organizing committee president.
Preparations for Italy’s third Winter Games have faced challenges, including cost overruns and construction delays. The event will showcase 116 medal events, introduce ski mountaineering, bring NHL players back to Olympic ice hockey, and feature increased female participation.
A separate flame for the Winter Paralympics will be lit in England on Feb. 24, at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.
