The Olympic Flame Begins Its Journey from Olympia to Milan

The countdown to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games has officially begun. The torch that will illuminate this Olympic event started its anticipated journey on Wednesday after being lit in Olympia, Greece, in a ceremony that combined tradition, symbolism, and some adjustments necessitated by inclement weather.

Although the ritual usually takes place among the ruins of the historic Greek sanctuary, the threat of rain forced the official act indoors to the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. However, the flame had already been ritually generated at the Temple of Hera during a rehearsal on Monday, taking advantage of a break in the rain.

This symbolic moment of lighting the flame represents the union between the ancient and modern Games, a tradition followed since 1936. The archaeological site of Olympia is the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Founded in the 8th century BC, it was dedicated to Zeus and hosted the Olympic Games for over 1,000 years.

On this occasion, actress Mary Mina, in her role as High Priestess, used sunlight concentrated through a concave mirror to ignite the flame, following the ancient procedure. Present at the lighting was Kirsty Coventry, former swimmer and president of the International Olympic Committee, who highlighted the symbolic weight of the lighting. "This flame not only represents the aspirations of athletes but also the dreams of those who believe in the transformative power of sport," she noted.

The first torchbearer of the Olympic flame was Petros Gkaidatzis, a canoeist and bronze medallist at the Paris 2024 Games.

After a week-long journey through Greece, covering about 2,200 kilometres and several iconic stops, the torch will be handed over to the Italian organisers on December 4th. From then on, it will begin the national relay, covering the 20 regions, 110 provinces, and around 300 municipalities of the country before the official opening on February 6, 2026, at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan.

The Olympic flame will reach Rome on December 6th and traverse the entire Italian territory, arriving in Milan a day before the Games' opening. There, thousands of torchbearers will complete a journey that connects mythology, tradition, and sport in the lead-up to the grand winter event of 2026.