Italian president sergio mattarella

International Olympic Committee President Kirsty: Italian President Sergio Mattarella lit the torch relay celebration cauldron for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday in the heart of the country's capital, Rome.

The lighting ceremony took place at Piazza del Quirinale, where Mattarella used the Olympic torch to light the celebration cauldron. International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the event along with other senior officials, reports Xinhua.

In her speech at the ceremony, Coventry said that the flame symbolizes the true spirit of the Olympic Games, which exists to bring people together, to break down walls, to inspire the dreams of future generations, and can only flourish when every athlete is able to participate without discrimination.