Sergio Mattarella handed the tricolor to the flag bearers

The Italy Team’s journey to Milan Cortina 2026 can officially start. In the Salone dei Corazzieri of the Quirinale, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella handed over the tricolor to the flag bearers of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Present at the event were a representation of female and male athletes, technicians and staff, led by CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio and Italian Paralympic Committee President Marco Giunio De Sanctis. The Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi, several members of the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation led by President Giovanni Malagò, CONI Secretary General and Head of Mission to Milan Cortina 2026 Carlo Mornati and FISI President Flavio Roda were also at the show.

The event was attended by the Italian Olympic Committee’s President and President of the Italian Paralympic Committee.

After the Hymn of Mameli the first to take the floor was CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio: “Mr. President, as always thank you for welcoming us here at the Quirinale, very few days, even very few hours before the festivities for the Holy Christmas. To have managed to find a space in your schedule was not easy but you as always understood the difficulties of these athletes who are preparing for a historic event, for some of them almost unique, that is to compete in the Olympic Games in their own country. That is why the ceremony of handing over the flag to our standard bearers for the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games takes on a special significance. This time our flag, our Tricolor, the one for which we all dedicate a lifetime of work and sacrifice, will not cross our borders. It will remain here with us, in our beloved Italy, and will be guarded by four great athletes of Italian sports. There are four and not two because for the first time in history the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, at our request, has agreed that the organizing country of an Olympics that carries in its name two cities can parade with a double flag-bearer in both Milan and Cortina, so that no one should feel subordinate to another. Choosing these two athletes was the most difficult decision since I was elected president of CONI. Every evaluation always ends up making someone happy and displeasing someone else. In this team that is here before you we have blossoms of champions and champions who could have aspired to become blue standard bearers. We had to balance decisions between men and women, between two Federations such as the Winter Sports Federation and the Ice Sports Federation, we also had to come to terms with the distances between Milan and Cortina and an incisive and unforgiving competition calendar. In the end, we arrived at a solution made up of ideas of reasoning, symbolism and meanings that are objective. In Milan, the flag will be entrusted to multiple Olympic champion Arianna Fontana, in her sixth participation in the Games, the only witness to what was the last Italian Olympics in Turin 2006. Arianna has already been the flag bearer at PyeongChang 2018, but now she has become a unique symbol for our movement. In fact, she is the most successful female athlete in the history of Italian sports, between the Winter and Summer Games. We could not fail to give her this recognition. Along with her will be a champion like Federico Pellegrino, an athlete who has made seriousness and composure a way of life. Entrusting him with the flag is the fitting crowning achievement of a winning and exemplary career. In Cortina, the choice was even more difficult, having first and foremost athletes that the whole world envies us. Without detracting from the value of other unique and unmatched champions, I felt it was right to focus on an athlete who in the last year has moved and moved the whole of Italy, starting with you Mr. President, for her incredible story of will, pride, perseverance and resilience following a dramatic injury that could have permanently marked her career. Of course, I am referring to Federica Brignone, a shining example of tenacity and stubbornness, resilience and constancy. Having to then always respect gender equality, I had no doubts about choosing the reigning Olympic champion Amos Mosaner, winner four years ago in Beijing of the gold medal that he will defend precisely in Cortina together with Stefania Costantini, to whom I have already anticipated that she will read the athletes’ oath at the opening ceremony. As you see, Mr. President, Italian sport comes to this Olympiad with an important burden of responsibility from which we do not shirk for two reasons. The first reason is that female and male athletes have prepared over these four years knowing only two words: work and commitment. The second reason is that we all know that by our side is you, our first supporter, our solid bulwark who has never let us lack the affection and closeness that we really need this time. On behalf of these girls and boys, on behalf of CONI and Italian sport, we say to you once again: thank you.”

Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi said, “With the delivery of the Tricolor we entrust the passion of the people, of the Italians, the expectations of success. And we are convinced that first of all athletes can guarantee the honor of representing our nation, the daily commitment they carry out every day giving us endless satisfaction. To them is handed not only the Tricolor but also the blue jersey, the dream of so many children and teenagers, of so many of us who have dreamed of reaching the top of sports. There are 46 days left until Milan Cortina 2026: Italy will be the center of the world, we will all try to live up to it, aware that we are working for an epochal event and that what will happen from the day after will also be very important for the country. We present ourselves with the strength of immortal and universal values that also depend on our behavior. We will live up to them.”

Once the Tricolor was received by President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, it was the flag bearers’ turn.

Arianna Fontana opened the series, “Mr. President, the flag you entrust to us today is much more than a symbol of our origins or what we call home. It is a promise. A promise to’Italy. A promise to every young person who dares to dream of being where we are today. A promise to the families who support us, to the communities that train us and to all those who believe that sport can be a force for growth, unity and hope. Sharing this honor with three other extraordinary athletes like Chicco, Fede and Amos, whose values and dedication I admire, makes this moment even more special. Today we pledge to honor this flag with respect, with discipline and with the unwavering courage that the Italian spirit has always inspired us. We will represent our country with open hearts, steady minds and the determination to lead by example, every single day. We have already done so. And we will do it again. For me, personally, this flag carries the weight of a lifelong commitment to defend our home, our colors and our values, under every pressure, under every expectation and under every circumstance. I have been doing this for 20 years. And I will be ready again this time. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Italy.”

“To the President of the Republic and to all the institutional offices. To all the coaches and technicians present. To my teammates of the Italy Team. To my family. To anyone who is listening to us, or will listen to us. Today, tomorrow, or in the distant future. I welcome your choice as you have welcomed me, year after year,” remarked Federico Pellegrino -. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it for a long time. I would be lying if I said I never imagined myself at the head of our delegation, with the Tricolor in front of my eyes and the whole country behind me. I would be lying if I said that this moment was not a motivation in power, that it did not support me in taking part in my and our choices. And I could never lie to you. My thoughts now go to Grandpa Gino, the last of the grandparents I had to say goodbye to. A man of duty, a man of civic sense, who lives this moment as the culmination of all his choices. Past, yet present. Like a climb of a thousand hairpin turns, taking you to the top. Wherever he is, he listens. And he is happier than I am. For choice is the seat of doubt, perhaps the only gift we have ever been given. And in doubt, existence is built. Balanced between the signifier and the signified. Between a symbol, like the flag, and what it contains. And my flag contains what those of my colleagues, my friends, my loved ones, every one of my fellow citizens also contain. My flag contains hundreds of choices. Huge and tiny. Obligatory and creative. Often, necessary and difficult. Sometimes, simple and sweet. A mosaic of will, of which you are both actor and spectator. Choose to be there, early in the morning and when it’s freezing outside. Choose to give up something today and cultivate for tomorrow. Choose together, smoothing out your edges. Choosing by making mistakes and learning to forgive each other. Choosing each other, for a life together. Husband, wife, partner or companion. And then together choosing for children, teaching them to do it themselves, until they help us choose again. Choosing is a gesture of responsibility, an intimate dialogue, with one’s head and heart, before everything else. But which then shapes the whole world. Choosing is an act of love, and that is why I welcome your choice with great pride as you have welcomed me. Year after year after year after year. Thank you.”

Then Amos Mosaner: “Mr. President, I thank you for welcoming us here today at the Quirinal by again finding time in your busy schedule to devote to us athletes and female athletes, and I thank President Buonfiglio for the prestigious assignment that has been given to me. Since I was young I have nurtured important dreams, but never would I have imagined that I could have come to represent a role of such great value to our country. I would like to express the most sincere gratitude to my family, my teammates, CONI, the Federation, the Fiamme Oro and all the staff who, with competence and dedication, have accompanied me along a path made of commitment, sacrifice and growth, making it possible to achieve these results. I welcome this moment with deep pride and emotion and look forward with a great sense of responsibility to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina 2026, an occasion in which I will have the honor of waving the Tricolor in front of the world. I am convinced that, through the sporting achievements and determination that distinguish the Italian delegation, we will be able to convey enthusiasm and bring an increasing number of citizens, particularly the younger generations, closer to the values of sport and the Olympic spirit. I renew my will to commit myself with constancy, persistence and adaptability. I, as well as all the athletes of the Italian delegation, will wear the Tricolor with a deep sense of belonging, strength and determination, pledging to do our utmost to honor and make proud the most beautiful country in the world. Thank you, Mr. President.”

And, rounding out the poker, Federica Brignone: “Good morning Mr. President, Good morning everyone. It goes without saying how honored and happy I am to receive the flag that will represent Italy at the Olympics in Milan Cortina. I am also excited, because my race to get here today was neither easy nor obvious. For this I thank with all my heart those who gave me the opportunity to be here. I just want to say that with this flag in my hand I will try to represent all Italian athletes through the values that for me have always been the basis of sport: respect, loyalty, dedication, commitment, determination, humility and fun. They serve to keep your feet on the ground in the moments of glory and to get back up in the moments of difficulty. This will be my fifth Olympics, my first in Europe, close to home, and I believe that participating in an Olympics in one’s own country is a great blessing and a great privilege. On the one hand it can also be a great stress, but I for one will try not to see it that way, I will try to take only the positive aspects of this privilege that only a few athletes have been able to experience, hoping that all the Azzurri will do the same. I close with a thank you to those who made this dream possible, to those who are working hard to make the Milan Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games a sporting and also an organizational success.”

As per protocol, the last to speak was indeed the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella: “It is a real pleasure to welcome you in the Salone dei Corazzieri and meet you all on the eve of the opening of Milano Cortina 2026. You have fully grasped with awareness the importance of the significance of the Games. We are delighted to see Federica Brignone ready and determined again: we spoke months ago on the phone and were counting on this. This ceremony is always engaging, but this time it holds even greater significance because we are the ones organizing the Games. We pour our culture, friendship, hospitality into it. Italy will be with you entirely. It will be an important occasion, the occasion of the discovery of our country. It will be a showcase for Italy, and for that I thank those who worked hard to want the Games and to organize them. Olympic and Paralympic Games: a combination of events that puts our country at the center of the world. The Olympic and Paralympic competitions are linked to so many human and social values. In this difficult time, the message of peace, solidarity and friendship spread by the Games will be very important. They will be fascinating days for you, and they will also be fascinating for those who do not appear, because many disciplines are individual but include great teamwork. In addition, the Games will induce many young people to measure themselves through sports. Sports play a great role on the social level. I would like to affirm my closeness and gratitude for those dedicated to the Paralympic movement: inclusion is a goal of civilization in our country. I am sure that you will all bring honor to Italy with your behavior and achievements. The Sophia Goggia’s super-G in Val d’Isère was a good premise. What you will do reflects on our country. Your efforts will have all of us around you. I will be one of the fans, I will follow you closely. I wish you many successes and great friendships.”