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Milan Cortina 2026, Federica Brignone breaks the mould

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An iconic image characterized the parade of Italian athletes during the opening ceremony of Milan Cortina 2026, a widespread event that united San Siro and the Dolomites in a single narrative. In Cortina d’Ampezzo, where one of the two delegations of athletes was engaged, Federica Brignone in fact chose to break the mold: instead of walking with the tricolor in her hand, she made the journey with the flag sitting on the shoulders of Amos Mosaner, the other Italian flag bearer in the Dolomite city.

A powerful and spontaneous image that sparked applause and positive comments from fans and insiders. The decision to have two flag bearers parade in Cortina and two in Milan is one of the most significant novelties of this edition: for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, Italy in fact has four official standard bearers. It is a decision that celebrates gender equality and the plurality of disciplines: in Cortina there were Brignone, a champion in alpine skiing, and Mosaner, an Olympian in curling, while in Milan the responsibility fell to Arianna Fontana, a shork track champion, and Federico Pellegrino, a cross-country skier.

Francesco LuciveroThe images of the spectacular Milan-Cortina 2026 opening ceremony: colors, music and Italian style

Milan-Cortina: colors, music and Italian style. The images of the spectacular opening ceremony
At San Siro staged the show d'opening of the Games
In a stadium packed with more than 80 thousand people, the Winter Olympics were inaugurated, for the third time in Italy

A show with a cast of over 1,300 people
A performance of Amore e Psiche
It's been celebrated Italian music, from the great composers of the past to Raffaella Carrà
So many references to Italian culture, in an evocative palette of colors

Mariah Carey sang in Blue Painted Blue
Dozens of models paraded with the tricolors of the Italian flag, a tribute to Armani
The streetcar, symbol of Milan and driven by Valentino Rossi, leads to the Sergio Mattarella stadium

Then the tricolor was hoisted
Laura Pausini sang the'anthem in a vigorous and emotional way
Pierfrancesco Favino recited the'Infinity of Giacomo Leopardi
The'union of the circles closed the first part of the ceremony, and introduced the athletes'diffuse parade

If in Cortina the two flag bearers gave a surprise, in Milan they chose solemnity. Inside the San Siro Olympic Stadium, renamed for the occasion, Italy entered the parade of nations last, as per protocol for the host country. In leading the delegation into the Milanese facility, Fontana and Pellegrino walked side by side, proudly waving the tricolor banner and garnering more than hearty applause from the more than 76,000 spectators present.

The double parade generated enthusiasm across the board. In Milan, Fontana’s and Pellegrino&#8217s entrance unleashed a roar that rippled through the stadium, while Cortina the audience present experienced a more intimate but no less intense moment: applause, choruses and flags, in fact, waved just a few meters from the athletes.

The athletes’s entrance was a great success.

Italy is one of 92 countries that will compete for medals until Sunday, Feb. 22, when the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games will experience their conclusion. In all, the beautiful country has 196 athletes, 103 men and 93 women: the goal is to improve on the Beijing 2022 haul, in which Italy won two golds, seven silvers and eight bronzes.

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