Ancient Olympia (Greece), Nov. 25 -- Ancient Olympia staged an emergency rehearsal on Monday for the flame lighting of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games as organizers braced for poor weather expected to disrupt Wednesday's official ceremony.
Greek actress Mary Mina, playing the High Priestess, used sunlight and a concave mirror to ignite the flame beside the 2,500-year-old Temple of Hera. After a short performance inspired by ancient Greek mythology in the historic stadium, she passed the flame and an olive branch to the first torchbearer.
The flame lit on Monday will act as a backup. With cloud cover and possible rain forecast, the Hellenic Olympic Committee said both Tuesday's final rehearsal and Wednesday's ceremony will move...