The delivery ceremony of the Olympic Flame in Milan-Cortina opened in the Panathinaiko stadium (also known by the name of Kallimarmaro). A powerful symbol of the continuity of Greek tradition from antiquity to the present day, the stadium was inaugurated in 560 BC. Built entirely with Pentelic marble, it has an elliptical plan: in ancient times it hosted the Panathenaic Games, in honor of the goddess Athens, protector of the city. It was here that everything began again in 1896, thanks to the vision of the French baron Pierre de Coubertin. In fact, the stadium hosted many of the main events of the first Olympic Games in modern history.
The rain, which had already put a spoke in the wheels of Olimpia’s lighting ceremony last week, threatened today’s event until the end, but the sun finally returned to shine on the marble steps of the stadium. Among the Italian representation present at the event there are, among others, the president of Coni Luciano Buonfiglio, that of the Milan-Cortina foundation, Giovanni Malagò, and the mayors of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, and of Cortina, Gianluca Lorenzi.
The ceremony opened with the screening of the show by the «Gymnastics for All – Wolves Team», with choreography by Olimpia Dragouni, accompanied by the Hellenic singer Klavdia. Then follows the performance of the Italian School of Athens, in collaboration with the Tam Ballet company of Milan, with the participation of a choir of 100 children and an ensemble of 100 young dancers. The show had been recorded in the previous days as a precaution given the unfavorable weather conditions.