The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic flame crossed Catanzaro this afternoon. The caravan, made up of torchbearers and means of the organisation, after starting from Vibo Valentia and passing through Lamezia Terme, started from the seaside district culminating its march in Piazza Prefettura where the old glory of Catanzaro football team Massimo Palanca lit the Olympic brazier.
The relay of sports champions
In the last stretch of the route, between two wings of the crowd, leading representatives of local and national sport took turns in a symbolic relay as torchbearers, in particular the middle distance runner of the Italian national team Luca Ursano, and the taekwondo bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics Simone Alessio as well as the historic Catanzaro footballer who brought the team to Serie A.
The arrival of the Olympic flame was welcomed in the city with great public participation. Among the torchbearers also the striker and captain of Catanzaro Pietro Iemmello.
Mayor Fiorita: “An event that happens once every 40 years”
«It is a great pride – said the mayor Nicola Fiorita – to host the passage of the Olympic flame because these are things that happen once every 40 or 50 years.
I think that the Olympics are still, perhaps, the last great event, which retains, at least in part, a different spirit.
The torch journey raises awareness about peace, about the values of sport such as fair competition, respect, knowledge of the opponent and therefore we are very happy. We have done everything to be up to this event, we have exceptional torchbearers such as a champion like Simone Alessio, like Luca Ursano, Massimo Palanca who is the symbol of the city’s sport”.
Massimo Palanca’s emotion in front of the city
After lighting the Olympic brazier, Palanca offered himself to the symbolic embrace of the city.
«It’s a wonderful thing – commented the former footballer -, it’s been a long time since I had an emotion like that. I had been waiting for this day for a long time, I woke up at night thinking about it.”
Then the message: «There is still someone deaf to the requests for peace and sharing of peoples. There are many populations who suffer, I hope that the Olympic torch can stir the consciences of these people.”
The words of the young champions: Alessio and Ursano
«It’s a truly indescribable emotion, the tears are there even if you can’t see them because I’m good at holding them back» commented Simone Alessio. For Luca Ursano it was “something incredible, a crazy emotion. I thank all the people of Catanzaro for their support not only today but for what I feel every day. I am proud to represent them in such important events.”