Under a cloud, the Olympic flame begins its journey to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — The Olympic flame began its journey Wednesday for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Games after bad weather forced officials to move the traditional lighting from ancient Olympia to a nearby museum. With skies overcast, organizers relied on a backup flame sparked during a sunny rehearsal. Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis opened the torch relay, which will travel through Greece before a Dec. 4 handover to Italy. The flame will then start a 63-day, 12,000-kilometer route across all 110 Italian provinces ahead of the Feb. 6–22 Games, set to feature 116 medal events, ski mountaineering’s debut and the return of NHL players.

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