Olympic Flame Ignites for Milan-cortina Games
with 70 days remaining until the start of the Winter Olympics in Italy this February, the Olympic flame was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece. the traditional ceremony, typically performed using sunlight adn a parabolic mirror at the Temple of Hera, was moved indoors to the Archaeological Museum of Olympia due to a forecast of rain and strong winds. The flame was successfully lit using a fire obtained during Monday’s rehearsal,despite clear skies appearing during the official ceremony.
Italian winter sports legends Stefania Belmondo (cross-country skiing) and Armin Zöggeler (luge) were among the first torchbearers. The flame will now embark on a nine-day tour of Greece,visiting 23 regions and 12 ski resorts.
On December 4th, the flame will arrive in Rome, initiating a 63-day relay across Italy.The route will span 12,000 kilometers, encompassing all 110 italian provinces from Trento in the north to Sicily in the south. Key cities along the way include Naples at Christmas and Bari around the New Year. A total of 10,001 torchbearers will participate in carrying the flame to its final destination: the opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium on February 6th.
