By ELENA BECATOROS, Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games was formally handed to Italian organizers on Thursday in the all-marble stadium in central Athens where the first modern Olympics were held nearly 130 years ago.

Olympic Gold Medalist rower Stefanos Ntouskos lights a cauldron with the Olympic flame in front of the ancient Parthenon temple atop of Acropolis hill during the Olympic torch relay for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, in Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greece, Olympic and Italy flags, from left, wave during the Olympic flame handover ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Panathenaic stadium, in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Gia

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