Olympic flame lit in Ancient Olympia as Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic 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 towards Italy, where it will arrive on 4 December to travel across the country on its way to the Opening Ceremony on 6 February 2026.
The ceremony, held in Archaeological Museum of Olympia, was hosted by Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, and attended by a number of distinguished guests. This included the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, and the President of the Hellenic Republic, Constantine An. Tassoulas.
Because of the wet weather forecast, the flame was lit using the rays of the sun during a rehearsal on Monday, e...