Milan-Cortina 2026, the handover of the Olympic flame to'Italy

The Olympic flame returns to Italy. Twenty years after Turin 2006, the five-ringed symbol illuminates our country with the universal significance that cloaks it, marking a key step in the countdown to Milan Cortina 2026. The ceremony of handing over the Olympic flame was hosted at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, Greece: the solemn marbles of the elliptical stadium – custodians of the tradition of the Olympic Games and the founding message that connotes them – provided the backdrop for the ritual passing of the torch into the hands of MiCo 2026 Foundation President Giovanni Malagò. CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, along with Secretary General, Carlo Mornati, and Deputy Vice President, Diana Bianchedi, attended the event, which was attended – among others – by the mayors of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, and Cortina, Gianluca Lorenzi, and the Italian Ambassador to Greece, Paolo Cuculi.

The torch’s arrival in the stadium was graced by the presence of two exceptional torchbearers, tricolor Olympians Jasmine Paolini (tennis) and Filippo Ganna (cycling). In contrast, the lighting ceremony was honored by the contributions of Stefania Belmondo (cross-country skiing) and Armin Zoeggeler (luge). The ceremony was opened with a screening of the performance by “Gymnastics for All – Wolves Team” choreographed by Olympia Dragouni, joined by Hellenic singer Klavdia. Afterwards, it was the performance of the choir of the Italian School of Athens, in collaboration with the Tam Ballet company of Milan, with the participation of 100 young dancers that gladdened those present, anticipating the formal content of the event.

The High Priestess Mary Mina lit the last flashlight to pass it into the hands of the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Isidoros Kouvelos. The number one of Greek sports, after stressing the importance of this moment that is renewed over the years consolidating the link with the roots of Olympism, handed over the Olympic flame to Italy. It was the President of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Foundation, Giovanni Malagò, who proudly picked up the baton, emphasizing its significance.

“Today is a magical moment for all of us as we prepare to bring the sacred Olympic flame back to Italian soil for the first time in 20’years. Being here, in this historic stadium, reminds us with emotion of the honor we have been bestowed and the precious treasure we will take home with us. Italy is proud of its Olympic heritage, of the athletes and athletes, such as Jasmine Paolini and Filippo Ganna, Stefania Belmondo and Armin Zoeggeler, who have represented us on this journey to Greek soil, in the name of the excellence that characterizes us. “We are ready to write the next chapter in history: in 1960, when Rome hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games, I was little more than a year old. That edition was dominated by the’image of Ethiopian legend Abebe Bikila winning the marathon barefoot under the Arch of Constantine. The last torchbearer of the flashlight relay that year was another runner: Giancarlo Peris, a little-known 19-year-old athlete who had been chosen as the winner of the student cross-country championship in the province of Rome. He may not have been an established champion on the world stage, but Peris symbolized a’vibrant and more hopeful era for Italy. And sixty-five years later, in Milan Cortina, we aim to harness that Italian spirit full of life once again. Through that spirit we will inspire and unite the country and the world as we come together to celebrate the precious Olympic values: excellence, friendship and respect”.

CONI President Buonfiglio expressed the emotions associated with the’uniqueness of the event: “These are moments we live with great intensity within ourselves. I think of the work done from the candidacy to today, the hundreds of people who work on it, all those who are committed to making our country look good, the Milan Cortina 2026 foundation, CONI, the government, the regions, the municipalities, the volunteers and the torch that from today will travel all over Italy. I would like this flashlight to lead us all to be even more united and cohesive when it comes to our country’s performance. Especially when we are abroad we realize how much we are appreciated and sometimes we don’t tell ourselves that. Every now and then it would be nice to be proud and proud of what we are doing. Implants? We do not live by good works alone, but also by legacy. This path must show that Italy wants to accomplish many good things for the benefit of cities, citizens, girls and boys. Without diversity, in the Olympic and Paralympic worlds. The dream is that it starts a plan for sports infrastructure, for sports facilities, because sports clubs, which have done so much in recent years for Italian sport, deserve and must continue to be under the attention of the government and the Ministry of Sport, because sport produces well-being, a healthy lifestyle, an example of how one should behave on a daily basis.”