Olympic gold medalist Gregorio Paltrinieri and his fellow Summer sports peers initiated the relay for the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Games on Saturday, exactly two months before the opening ceremony on Feb. 6.
Paltrinieri commenced the torch relay at the Stadio dei Marmi in Rome, carrying the sleek torch on a route spanning 12,000 kilometers (about 7,500 miles) across all 110 Italian provinces, ultimately leading to the opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Stadium.
“Being part of the Winter Olympics in the Olympic movement is a pleasure,” expressed Paltrinieri.
A total of 10,001 torchbearers will participate in the relay.
VIEW | The design and making of the Olympic torch:
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Olympic torch for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games.
On the inaugural day, authorities prevented two groups of pro-Palestinian activists from interfering with the relay route.
Giancarlo Peris, the final torchbearer from the 1960 Rome Olympics, carried the Olympic flame in a lantern to kick off the event. Peris, now 84, lit the cauldron at the Stadio Olimpico over 65 years ago when he was just 18.
“I never imagined I would be here today,” remarked Peris with a smile.
Paltrinieri, a gold medalist in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Rio Games, has a total of five Olympic medals. He and his girlfriend Rossella Fiamingo, an accomplished fencer, were the flag bearers for Italy at the closing ceremony of the previous Paris Games.
“I used to ski in my childhood, but I stopped due to safety concerns. Skiing is my favorite Winter Olympic sport, and Alberto Tomba was a major inspiration for me,” shared Paltrinieri.
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