The Olympic flame for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games has begun its journey to Italy following a symbolic handover ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on December 4.
Hosted by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the event concluded the Greek leg of the torch relay, which started in Ancient Olympia on November 26 when the flame was lit using the sun’s rays.
Greek Olympian Giorgos Kougioumtsidis carried the flame into the stadium before passing it to Italian champions Jasmine Paolini and Filippo Ganna, who represented the host nation. The cauldron was lit by water polo world champion Eleni Xenaki, and the final ceremonial torch was handed to Giovanni Malagò, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee and IOC Member, formally completing the transfer.
The flame will arrive in Rome on the evening of December 4 and be presented to Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace on December 5, followed by a public celebration featuring a cauldron lighting and a Frecce Tricolori flypast.
The Italian leg of the relay, named “The Greatest Journey,” begins December 6 and will span 63 days, covering 12,000 km, all 20 regions, and 110 provinces, passing 60 World Heritage Sites before reaching Milan for the Opening Ceremony on February 6, 2026.IOC and organising committee leaders highlighted the cultural and symbolic significance of the handover.
“From this moment forward, [the flame] will speak in the language of Italy… It will pass through your piazzas and Alpine villages,” said Isidoros Kouvelos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee. Malagò added: “Today marks a magical moment as we prepare to return the sacred Olympic flame to Italian soil for the first time in 20 years.”The ritual underscores the continuity of the Olympic Movement, linking the Games’ ancient origins with modern celebrations of sport, peace, and friendship.
