US EditionPraying for the Sun: What to Know About the Flame-Lighting Ceremony for the Winter Olympics
The flame lighting ceremony at Ancient Olympia featured 10,000 torchbearers and a sustainable torch design for the 12,000-kilometer relay across Greece and Italy.
- The lit torch begins a relay that will reach Milan's San Siro Stadium for the Feb. 6 opening of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games, following Friday's ceremony at Ancient Olympia.
- Practising for weeks, performers and dancers portraying priestesses and kouroi coordinated precise gestures and poses at Ancient Olympia, while Mary Mina recited an invocation and called for `sacred silence` before the torch lighting.
- Approximately 10,000 torchbearers will participate in the 63-day relay starting in Rome, covering 12,000 kilometres through 60 cities and 110 provinces with the Italian-crafted Essenziale torch.
- Alongside the Olympic flame, a Paralympic flame will be lit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and begin its relay on Feb. 24, 2026, before the March 6 opening at Verona Arena.
- The main challenge is the weather, so organisers keep pre-lit backup flames in lanterns as cloudy skies can prevent solar lighting, while Greek Armed Forces secure rehearsals amid risks from historic detours and past protests.
67 Articles
67 Articles
The Olympic Torch Relay for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games began on Wednesday in Greece during a rain-disturbed ceremony.
Praying for the sun: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony for the Winter Olympics
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) – At a temple in Ancient Olympia, a flame is drawn from the sun to begin its journey to the Winter Games. The choreographed ceremony inspired by ancient Greece is designed to link the original games…
Praying for the sun: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony for the Winter Olympics
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — At a temple in Ancient Olympia, a flame is drawn from the sun to begin its journey to the Winter Games. The choreographed ceremony inspired by ancient Greece is designed to link the original games…
Praying for the sun: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony for the Winter Olympics
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — At a temple in Ancient Olympia, a flame is drawn from the sun to begin its journey to the Winter Games. The choreographed ceremony inspired by ancient Greece is designed to link the original games…
Praying for the sun: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony for the Winter Olympics
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — At a temple in Ancient Olympia, a flame is drawn from the sun to begin its journey to the Winter Games. The choreographed ceremony inspired by ancient Greece is designed to link the original games…
Praying for the sun: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony for the Winter Olympics
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games will be lit at Ancient Olympia, continuing a tradition that uses the sun’s rays to symbolize continuity with the original Greek competitions. Weather remains the key challenge, prompting organizers to…
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