2025 Winter Olympic Flame Lighting-Ancient Olympia
edshktxnujhzaixfpkie
OLYMPIA-GREECE-On 26 November 2025, at the storied site of Ancient Olympia in Greece, the Olympic flame for the upcoming Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics was officially lit, marking the beginning of a long journey that will end in Milan, Italy, the evening of 6 February 2026. (Olympics)
This year’s lighting took place inside the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, a break from tradition driven by unfavorable weather forecasts. Rather than the customary outdoor ritual at the ancient stadium, where a high-priestess would ignite the torch using focused sunlight and a parabolic mirror, organizers relied on a backup flame prepared during a recent rehearsal. (Reuters)
Still, the ceremony retained much of its symbolic power. Performers dressed as priestesses and ancient-style figures carried out coordinated, sculptural gestures, evoking the spirit of classical Olympia. The flame kindled earlier when sunlight permitted, and was brought into the hall, where soon after, the first torchbearer emerged: Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis, accompanied by former Italian cross-country skiing champion Stefania Belmondo. Together, they set off the torch relay that will carry the flame from Greece to Italy. (Olympics)
In her first lighting ceremony as head of the International Olympic Committee, President Kirsty Coventry reflected on how the flame unites past and present “bringing the light from our ancient heritage into a shared future.” (Reuters)
From here, the flame will travel across Greece for roughly a week. On 4 December it will be handed over to Italian organizers in Athens, before being transported to Rome and from there beginning a grand, 12,000-kilometer relay through Italy over 63 days. The route will wind through all 110 Italian provinces, stopping in 60 cities and 300 towns, with about 10,001 torchbearers in total. (Wikipedia)
The journey will celebrate both sport and heritage: the flame will pass iconic landmarks like Rome’s Colosseum and Venice’s Grand Canal, and will arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo on 26 January, exactly 70 years after the 1956 Winter Games first took place there. The final leg ends at the San Siro Stadium in Milan on 6 February, just in time for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. (Wikipedia)
In a world often divided, the Olympic flame continues to carry a timeless message of unity, peace, and global fellowship with the ancient Greek ideal of “Olympic Truce”-“Ekecheiria” in Ancient Greek, the sacred agreement to cease all wars before, during, and after the Olympics, connecting ancient origins and modern dreams.
Sources: Reuters, Wikipedia, Olympics
IMAGE: Courtesy of IOC Greece, captured from Live stream
World News
