The Olympic Flame Is Lit in Ancient Olympia: The Milano Cortina 2026 Torch Relay Begins

The Olympic flame for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games was lit today in Ancient Olympia, the historic birthplace of the Olympic Games. The ceremony marks the beginning of the flame’s journey to Italy, where it will arrive on 4 December before traveling throughout the country ahead of the Opening Ceremony on 6 February 2026.

The ceremony, held at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, was officiated by Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, and attended by numerous distinguished guests, including IOC President Kirsty Coventry and the President of the Hellenic Republic, Constantine An. Tassoulas.

Due to rain forecasts, the flame was lit using the sun’s rays during a rehearsal on Monday, ensuring the purity of the traditional method. This flame was then transferred to the official Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch during today’s ceremony, where Petros Gkaidatzis, Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist in rowing, began the Greek leg of the Olympic Torch Relay as the first torchbearer. Petros then joined the first Italian torchbearer, two-time Olympic champion Stefania Belmondo, for a joint run, before she passed the flame to her compatriot and two-time Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler.

Reflecting on the significance of the occasion, IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated:

“We are truly grateful that today’s ceremony reminds us of what the Olympic Games represent. They are about bringing people together in peaceful competition, with friendship and respect. By lighting the Olympic flame for Milano Cortina, we carry this light from the past into the present and into the future. And it is a shared future that we all long for. This is why we strongly believe in the Olympic Truce—in setting our differences aside and striving for a better future.”

She added:

“These Games come at a crucial moment in our history. In the divided world we live in today, the Olympic Games hold a truly symbolic place. And it is our duty—our responsibility—to ensure that athletes from around the world can gather peacefully and inspire the dreams and hopes of those who watch them everywhere.”

President Coventry described this as “the true Olympic spirit,” saying:

“Athletes embody the values that unite us. They show us the best of humanity, where no discrimination exists on the field of play. That spirit can only flourish when all eligible athletes, teams, and officials are able to participate.”

IOC Member and Centro Caribe Sports President Luis Mejía Oviedo highlighted the significance of the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony and announced that the organization will closely follow the athletes from regional countries who will take part in Milano Cortina 2026.