Milan-Cortina: the flame’s journey begins at the Stadio dei Marmi

Rome, 6 December (LaPresse) – The Milan-Cortina Olympic flame’s 63-day, 12,000-kilometre journey began at Rome’s Stadio dei Marmi (touching all 20 regions and 110 provinces, passing through 60 UNESCO World Heritage sites) with Milan as its final destination, where the 2026 Winter Olympic Games will officially kick off on 6 February. At 9.30 a.m., swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri, winner of one gold, two silver and two bronze Olympic medals, inaugurated the relay. Paltrinieri ran a lap of the Stadio dei Marmi and performed the first Torch Kiss – the moment when the flame is passed between torchbearers – with Elisa Di Francisca, the second “relay runner”. The Olympic fencer, winner of two gold medals and one silver medal in foil fencing, completed a lap of the stadium before handing over the baton to the third torchbearer, another Olympian: Gianmarco Tamberi. The gold medallist in the high jump at Tokyo 2020, after completing his third lap of the stadium, handed the torch to basketball player Achille Polonara, who accompanied it out of the Stadio dei Marmi, launching the relay through the streets of the Eternal City. Before the torchbearers set off, Giovanni Malagò, president of the Milano-Cortina Foundation, received the flame from middle-distance runner Giancarlo Peris, the last torchbearer of the 1960 Rome Games. After 66 years, he brought the lantern containing the flame that will light the Winter Games into the Stadio dei Marmi. Among the other torchbearers is Malagò himself, who will set off from the Canottieri Aniene rowing club at 10.35 a.m., followed by Donato Carrisi, Matteo Berrettini, Gigi Datome, Andrea Bargnani, Max Biaggi, Giuseppe Tornatore and Achille Lauro. Representatives of the national council and federation presidents will also carry the torch. A total of 164 torchbearers are involved in Rome.