Athens, Dec. 4 -- Greece on Thursday held the Olympic flame handover ceremony for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games at the historic Panathenaic Stadium here.
The flame was carried into the stadium by world wrestling champion Georgios Kougioumtsidis, who then passed it to Italy's Olympic champion Jasmine Paolini and cyclist Filippo Ganna, symbolizing the long-standing ties between Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and Italy, host nation of the upcoming Winter Olympics.
World water polo champion Eleni Xenaki then received the flame and, together with her teammates from Greece's national team, lit the ceremonial cauldron inside the marble stadium, known as Kallimarmaro.
In his remarks, Isidoros Kouvelos, president of th...