🔥 The Olympic flame for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games blazed to life this Wednesday, November 26, 2025, in Ancient Olympia, Greece. Organizers moved the ceremony indoors due to weather warnings, but a rehearsal on Monday used sun rays to preserve the tradition of lighting the flame with pure solar power.
Among the distinguished guests were International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry and IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach. Greek rower Petros Gkaidatzis, bronze medalist at Paris 2024, became the first torchbearer of the Greek leg, handing off to Italy’s cross-country skiing legend Stefania Belmondo. She then passed the torch to double luge champion Armin Zoeggeler in a thrilling joint run.
After a week around historic sites in Greece, the flame will travel to Athens on December 4, where Italian organizers take over. Then starts a months-long relay across Italy: 60 cities, 300 towns and 10,001 bearers will carry the torch before it reaches Cortina d’Ampezzo on January 26, exactly 70 years after the 1956 Winter Games opened there.
The grand finale arrives in Milan on the evening of February 6, as the torch enters San Siro Stadium to light the cauldron and kick off the Winter Olympics. Get ready for a season of snowy thrills! 🏂⛷️❄️
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Flame for 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics lit in Ancient Olympia
cgtn.com
