Live
An Olympic Flame in turbulent times

The ceremony to receive the Olympic flame for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina took place in an unusual setting, not at the Ancient Stadium of Olympia, but inside the Archaeological Museum of Ancient Olympia, as intense and continuous rainfall made it impossible to hold the ceremony outdoors. Despite the change of venue, the rehearsal had already lit the official flame from the sun’s rays, so that the ceremony could follow the ritual faithfully, with the High Priestess entering the Museum accompanied by the Priestesses and Kouros, in a choreography by Artemis Ignatiou, while the flame was handed over to the first torchbearer, Olympic champion Petros Gaidatzis. The national anthems of Greece and Italy, the recitation of the poem “The Light of Olympia” by Yannis Stankoglou, and the presence of leading figures—from IOC President Kirsten Coventry to Organizing Committee President Giovanni Malagò—underlined the international significance of the moment.

The Olympic flame carries heavy symbolism. In ancient times, it was dedicated to Hestia and lit by the rays of the sun, symbolizing the light of the spirit and the renewal of life. elements that the IOC now presents as a bridge between the ancient and modern Games. The form of the ceremony is inspired by ancient tradition. designed in 1936 for the Berlin Olympics by Carl Diehm and used by the Nazi regime as a means of propaganda, before being cut off from this dark origin and adopted as a universal institution after 1948. Even the detail of the “backup flame” has its own history: in case of cloudy weather, the flame from previous rehearsals is used, a practice that has been applied many times, such as in 2000 for Sydney.

Although these are winter games, the storm is not exclusively meteorological. A political storm is looming over the 2026 Winter Games, revealing how complex the sporting landscape has become in times of war and how deeply political culture is. The International Olympic Committee has allowed athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports to participate only as “Individual Neutral Athletes” (AINs), without symbols or national identities, applying the same strict criteria that applied in Paris 2024; each case is evaluated by the special AINERP committee, and athletes are required to sign binding terms committing them to respect the Olympic Charter and the peaceful mission of the movement. The IOC has already sent invitations to those deemed eligible, but participation is only confirmed once the athlete has personally accepted the invitation, emphasizing that their presence at the Games is not a given.

For Ukraine, even this “neutral participation” is considered premature and deeply problematic, with Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidni telling CNN that it is too early to discuss the return of Russian or Belarusian flags, as the war continues and Ukraine counts its dead athletes, coaches, and nearly 800 destroyed sports facilities, a number that is constantly rising due to Russian attacks. At the same time, most Ukrainian athletes are forced to train abroad due to the lack of functional infrastructure, which undermines their ability to participate equally in the Games. The controversy is exacerbated by the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in the Paralympics, a development that Bidny described as “strange,” emphasizing that the international community cannot claim neutrality when “war is not politics, it is a crime.”

Nevertheless, as the Flame makes its way to Italy, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina are shaping up to be an event that encapsulates the economic, social, and technological transformation of post-pandemic Europe. Approximately 850,000 tickets have already been sold, with the organizing committee estimating that visitors could reach two million, an unprecedented level of mobility in northern Italy (Euronews – Europe in Motion). Americans are the most expensive and numerous foreign spectators, accounting for around 35% of ticket purchases, while Germans lead the way among Europeans, followed by the British, Swiss, and French. In terms of individual spending, Australians stand out with an average expenditure of €2,600 per traveler, confirming that the Games have already become a global economic magnet. Air arrivals are expected to increase by 160% compared to last year, with Milan Linate airport recording an increase of over 450%; similar rates are observed in Malpensa, Verona, and Venice, revealing the magnitude of the tourism boom.

The event will cover a huge area of 22,000 square kilometers — the largest in the history of the Winter Olympics — with competitions in Milan, Cortina, Valtellina, and Val di Fiemme, while the closing ceremony will be hosted in Verona. At the same time, the 2026 program features some important innovations: Skimo, a hybrid speed and climbing sport, will make its Olympic debut with three events, while dual moguls will be introduced into freestyle skiing as an adrenaline-fueled and technical event. Italy, with its strong tradition in mountaineering culture, appears to be a natural protagonist in this new transition. At the same time, women account for 47% of the approximately 3,000 athletes, the highest percentage of participation in the history of the Winter Olympics.

From the lighting of the flame to the Games, the narrative begins in Olympia and spreads across the world, with Europe preparing to host the most technologically advanced and geopolitically charged Winter Olympics in modern history. Although the Olympic Flame carries a message of unity, it is tested as few times as its journey to Italy becomes a passage, through the contradictions of modern Europe: from the tradition and sanctity of Olympia to the harsh reality of geopolitical conflict, where each athlete’s participation takes on a deeper meaning and is not simply a competitive presence. Thus, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics are not just the next stop on a historic journey, they are a moment when sport, geopolitics, and economics come together in a way that is deeply revealing for contemporary Europe, amid uncertainty and collective experience in an ever-changing international landscape.

Written by

Shape the conversation

Do you have anything to add to this story? Any ideas for interviews or angles we should explore? Let us know if you’d like to write a follow-up, a counterpoint, or share a similar story.

Write a counterargument article Write a related article