BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Italy marked a major milestone in its countdown to the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday, officially beginning the torch relay exactly two months before the opening ceremony. The launch blended history, national pride, and star power as some of the country’s most celebrated athletes gathered at Rome’s storied Stadio dei Marmi to send the flame on a 12,000-kilometer journey across the nation.
The first leg of the relay was led by Olympic swimming champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, who carried the sleek, silver-colored torch around the marble-lined track of the stadium. His lap signaled the start of a massive nationwide route that will pass through all 110 Italian provinces before culminating at San Siro Stadium in Milan, where the Games will officially open on February 6.
Paltrinieri, one of Italy’s most decorated swimmers with five Olympic medals including gold in the 1,500 meters at the Rio 2016 Games, said he was honored to play a role in ushering in a global event he grew up watching. “It’s a pleasure to be part of the Olympic movement, even if this time it’s the Winter Games,” he said. The champion noted he grew up skiing before eventually stepping back from the sport to avoid injury, calling it “my favorite Winter Olympic event” and recalling Alpine legend Alberto Tomba as one of his childhood heroes.
The ceremony began with a moment that bridged generations. Giancarlo Peris — who lit the cauldron at the 1960 Rome Olympics as an 18-year-old track athlete — emerged carrying the flame inside a lantern. Now 84, Peris was visibly moved as he stepped onto the same grounds where his Olympic story began more than six decades ago. “I didn’t think I would be here today,” he said with a smile.
This year’s torch relay will feature 10,001 torchbearers, representing a wide spectrum of Italian sports and culture. After Paltrinieri completed his lap, he handed the flame to retired fencer Elisa Di Francisca, a two-time gold medalist from the London 2012 Games. From there, the torch went to Gianmarco Tamberi, Italy’s charismatic high jump champion who won Olympic gold in Tokyo.
The lineup of relay participants in Rome also included tennis star Matteo Berrettini, former NBA player Andrea Bargnani, and motorcycle racing icon Max Biaggi, underscoring the broad appeal and national significance of the upcoming Winter Games.
Over the next two months, the torch will weave through the country’s most historically and culturally significant cities. Naples will host the flame on Christmas Day, while Bari will welcome it on New Year’s Eve. The route includes a stop in Turin — host of the 2006 Winter Olympics — on January 11, followed by Verona on January 18. On January 26, the relay will reach Cortina d’Ampezzo, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the opening of the 1956 Winter Olympics held in the Alpine resort town.
A ceremonial cauldron will also be lit in Cortina on the night of the opening ceremony, reinforcing the Games’ dual-city identity.
Giovanni Malagò, president of the organizing committee, emphasized the scope of the relay, noting that it will pass every one of Italy’s 61 UNESCO World Heritage sites — the most of any country in the world. “It’s like a giant two-month advertisement,” he said, highlighting Italy’s effort to showcase its cultural wealth alongside the sporting events.
The Milan–Cortina Games will span a wide area of northern Italy. Milan will host skating events, while Bormio will stage the men’s Alpine skiing and ski mountaineering competitions. Cortina will oversee women’s Alpine skiing, sliding sports, and curling. Other host locations include Livigno, where freestyle skiing and snowboarding will be held, and Predazzo, the venue for ski jumping.
The next stops for the torch will be Viterbo on Sunday and Terni on Monday, as Italy continues its highly publicized march toward the opening of the first Olympic Games it has hosted in 20 years.
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