Olympic flame handed over in Athens as it begins journey to Italy for Milano Cortina 2026

04 December 2025 – With just over two months to go before the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games begin, the Olympic flame was formally handed over to the host nation in a ceremony in Athens that reflected the symbolism and traditions of the Olympic Movement.

KEY FACTS: 

• Handover ceremony: The Olympic flame for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games was officially handed over at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on 4 December.

   

• Celebrating Olympians: Italian Olympic champions Jasmine Paolini and Filippo Ganna took centre stage at the handover ceremony, symbolically carrying the Olympic flame onwards to the host nation.

   

• Next milestones: The flame will arrive in Rome in the evening of 4 December, before the Italian leg of the Olympic Torch Relay begins on 6 December.

Hosted by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the event took place inside the Panathenaic Stadium — the iconic venue of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 — marking the moment the flame leaves its Greek origins and begins its journey towards Italy.

The ceremony concludes the Greek section of the Olympic Torch Relay, which began in Ancient Olympia on 26 November, when the flame was lit according to tradition using the sun’s rays.

Before arriving in the Panathenaic Stadium, the flame spent the night of 3 to 4 December on the Acropolis, under the protection of the guardians of the flame. With the site closed to visitors, only the flame and its guardians remained within the ancient citadel — a rare and powerful moment that honoured the flame’s role as a symbol of peace and continuity between past and present.

As with every edition, the relay serves as a powerful reminder of the values of the Olympic Movement — excellence, respect and friendship— carried forward by thousands of torchbearers as the flame travels from Greece to the next host nation.

How did the handover unfold?

The flame entered the Panathenaic Stadium carried by Greek Olympian Giorgos Kougioumtsidis, before being passed to Italian Olympic champions Jasmine Paolini and then Filippo Ganna. It was then used by Olympian and member of Greece’s 2025 women’s water polo world championship-winning team, Eleni Xenaki, to light the stadium cauldron.

From this cauldron, the High Priestess ignited the final ceremonial torch and presented it to Hellenic Olympic Committee President Isidoros Kouvelos, who handed it to Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee President and IOC Member Giovanni Malagò — formally completing the handover and beginning the flame’s journey to Italy.

Reflecting on the significance of the occasion and the shared heritage between the two nations, President Kouvelos said: “Today, here at this Handover Ceremony, we reach a beautiful turning point in that journey. The flame is ready to cross new frontiers. Until now, it has spoken in the language of Greece: of Olympia, of the relay that crossed our land, of the people who stood in the rain or under the sun just to see it pass for an instant. From this moment forward, it will speak in the language of Italy. It will reflect on the snow and ice of your mountains. It will pass through your piazzas and Alpine villages. It will run beside your lakes, along your streets, into your stadiums. Between our two countries lies a narrow sea, but tonight that sea is crossed not by ships, but by a thread of fire. We are bound by history, by culture, by the Mediterranean itself. Now we are bound by this flame, by the trust we place in you.”

In his speech, President Malagò said: “Today marks a magical moment for all of us as we prepare to return the sacred Olympic flame to Italian soil for the first time in 20 years. To stand here, in this historic stadium, provides an inspiring reminder of the honour we have been granted and the precious treasure we will carry home with us. I want to thank Greece and the Greek people for the way they have celebrated the beginning of the torch relay for these past nine days. They have provided a memorable start to our Olympic and Paralympic journey.”

The ceremony also included cultural performances celebrating Greek heritage, echoing the deep historical ties between Ancient Olympia, Athens and the modern Olympic Movement.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AS THE FLAME TRAVELS TO ITALY?

Following the handover ceremony in Athens, the Olympic flame will depart for Italy, arriving at Fiumicino Airport in the evening of 4 December. It will then proceed to Quirinale Palace, the main official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. In the presence of Milano Cortina 2026 President Giovanni Malagò, Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (CONI) President Luciano Buonfiglio and Secretary General Carlo Mornati, and Olympian Jasmine Paolini, they will officially hand over the lantern containing the Olympic flame to the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

On the morning of 5 December, a formal celebration will take place in Piazza del Quirinale, featuring the lighting of an Olympic Torch Relay celebration cauldron by President Mattarella and a spectacular flypast by the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team. The celebration cauldron will remain alight for public viewing throughout the day.

The Italian leg of the Relay will then officially begin on 6 December. Named “The Greatest Journey” by the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, the Relay aims to bring the Olympic spirit to communities across the country. Each torchbearer’s journey will tell a unique story, celebrating Italy’s culture, history and people while building excitement ahead of the Games.

Over 63 days, the Relay will travel 12,000 kilometres, covering all 20 regions and 110 provinces, passing 60 World Heritage Sites along the way, culminating in Milan for the Opening Ceremony on 6 February 2026.

A TRADITION LIKING PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

The Olympic flame handover is a defining ritual of the Olympic Torch Relay — connecting the ancient Games, revived in 1896, with today’s global celebration of sport. As the flame now journeys from Athens to Italy, anticipation builds for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026. Tickets can be purchased here.