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The 2026 Olympic Winter Games are 10 weeks away, but the spirit of the event is already in full swing. The Olympic flame has been lit in Greece, and is already on its way to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Italian cities that will be hosting the games next February.
As is customary, the Olympic flame travels via torch relay, in which 10,001 torchbearers, made up of athletes and members of the public, take turns running with the flame until it reaches its final destination—the opening ceremony. This time, the event is taking place at the iconic San Siro stadium on February 6, 2026.
The first torchbearer was Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis, who received the flame from the High Priestess (played by Greek actor Mary Mina) at a ceremony in Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. He was then was joined by Italian cross-country skiing medallist Stefania Belmondo for a joint leg of the relay.
The flame is currently traveling through Greece on its way to Athens, where the handover ceremony will take place on December 4. After being presented to a committee from Milano Cortina 2026, the flame will arrive in Rome, and will visit 60 cities and 300 towns around Italy, including the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. It will also make a stop in Cortina D’Ampezzo on January 26, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the opening ceremony of the 1956 Winter Olympics, which took place there.
“As the Flame travels through every region of Italy, all citizens will have the chance to experience the excitement of Milano Cortina 2026 and to share in the Olympic values through a powerful collective moment,” writes the Olympics. “It will be a unique opportunity to showcase the beauty and rich cultural heritage of the country to the world through a Torch Relay that celebrates the Italian Spirit: a vibrant, dynamic, and deeply contemporary force.”
If you’re in the area and you’d like to see the Olympic flame on its journey to Milano Cortina 2026, visit the Olympics website to know the exact route and time the Olympic torch may be coming near you. And if you’re in the U.S., you can tune in to the 2026 Winter Olympics on NBC from February 6 through February 22, 2026.
The Olympic flame has been lit in Greece, and is now on its way to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
As is customary, the Olympic flame travels via torch relay, in which 10,001 torchbearers take turns running with the flame until it reaches its final destination—the opening ceremony.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Milano-Cortina 2026: Website | Instagram
Sources: Olympic Torch Relay Official Website; Torch for the Milano Winter Games lit in low-key indoor ceremony
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