The Milan-Cortina Winter Games begin with a star-studded ceremony split across Italy, featuring dual cauldron lightings and a geographically dispersed athlete parade.
THE curtain rises on the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics tonight with a star-studded opening ceremony spanning multiple Italian venues. The event at Milan’s San Siro stadium will be echoed by celebrations at Games sites across the Alps and Dolomite mountains.
This reflects the most geographically dispersed Olympics in history. For the first time, the 2,900 athletes will parade in the venues closest to where they will compete to minimise travel.
Two Olympic cauldrons will be lit simultaneously. One will be at Milan’s Arch of Peace, with the other in the centre of Cortina d’Ampezzo, 400 kilometres away.
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Organisers have tried to keep the final torchbearers’ identities secret. Reports suggest Italian alpine skiing legends Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni have been chosen.
American singer Mariah Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Chinese pianist Lang Lang are among the confirmed performers. Creative director Marco Balich promised the ceremony offers “a unique platform to convey positive messages, not divisive ones.”
Balich intends to pay tribute to Italian fashion with a special nod to the late designer Giorgio Armani. The ceremony is expected to draw a global audience of hundreds of millions.
US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the dignitaries attending. Vance praised the organisation after talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
He said the Games were “coming together around shared values.” The presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with the American delegation has sparked anger in Italy.
The Italian government said the agents will have no operational role. Hundreds of Milanese students gathered to protest against ICE.
In early competition, defending champions the United States took an early lead in the figure skating team event. Curling, snowboarding and women’s ice hockey are also underway.
American skiing star Lindsey Vonn passed a crucial test on her injured knee. The 41-year-old completed a training run for the downhill despite a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
It keeps alive her hopes of medal glory 16 years after her only Olympic gold in Vancouver. A podium finish would cap a remarkable comeback from retirement.
Before skiing, Vonn posted on Instagram: “No one would have believed I would be here… but I made it!!” Asked by reporters if everything was good after the run, she responded simply “yeah.”
