Olympic flame begins its journey to Milan Cortina Winter Games

The Olympic flame commenced its journey to the Milan Cortina Winter Games, albeit with a touch less of its customary spectacle.

Inclement weather sweeping across western Greece forced organizers to move the torch-lighting ceremony indoors, from Olympia’s historic stadium and ancient temples to a nearby museum, Associated Press reports.

Traditionally, the flame is ignited by focusing the sun’s rays through a concave mirror. With skies overcast, officials instead used a backup flame kindled during a brief spell of sunshine at Monday’s rehearsal.

Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis launched the torch relay, which, after reaching Italy, will be carried across the host country by approximately 10,000 runners in the lead-up to the Games, scheduled for February 6–22.

The sun eventually broke through over rain-soaked Olympia during the indoor ceremony. “It’s incredibly memorable and a little bit emotional for me to be standing here,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry, overseeing her first torch lighting since being elected in March. “It feels like the past and the present are really coming together. We are extremely happy that today’s ceremony reminds us what the games stand for.”

Italy will host its third Winter Games, though preparations have been complicated by cost overruns and construction delays. Organizers, however, are highlighting an ambitious program, featuring 116 medal events, the debut of ski mountaineering, greater female participation, and the return of NHL players to Olympic hockey.

Following a brief tour of Greece and a formal handover on December 4, the flame will embark on a 63-day, 12,000-kilometer relay through all 110 Italian provinces, showcasing cultural landmarks and host venues before arriving at Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the opening ceremony.

“Over the next few weeks, the Olympic flame will pass through all the Italian provinces, 60 cities, 300 towns, 20 regions and all the UNESCO sites. It will travel from the northern peaks to the southern shores,” said Giovanni Malagò, head of the Milan Cortina Organizing Committee.

Speakers at ceremony also urged world leaders to honor the Olympic Truce, an ancient Greek tradition suspending conflicts to allow safe participation in the Games.

Separately, a flame for the Winter Paralympics, scheduled March 6–15, will be lit on February 24 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.

By Vafa Guliyeva