VAL DI FEIMMELIGHTS UP: THE JOURNEY OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH

he Olympic spirit shone brightly across Val di Fiemme today as the much-anticipated journey of the Olympic Torch made its way through the Trentino valley, now just days away from becoming one of the beating hearts of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

A mix of spectacle and tradition accompanied the torch journey as the flame, escorted by the official caravan, passed through some of the most iconic locations in Val di Fiemme. The day began in Canazei, in Val di Fassa, before continuing through the Olympic venues of Predazzo and Lago di Tesero, and finally reaching Cavalese in the evening, where Franco Nones lit the Olympic cauldron in a moving ceremony.

The Olympic Torch Relay represents a universal message of unity and hope. Having started on November 29, the journey has now arrived in Val di Fiemme, where another important milestone was celebrated in snowy conditions, just one day after the inauguration of the Olympic Village and the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium.

At the Giuseppe Dal Ben Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, spectators witnessed a spectacular torch handover. A relay team climbed the in-run staircase of the HS 141 ski jump, where former Nordic combined athletes and ski jumpers Fabio Morandini and Virginio Lunardi performed the symbolic “Torch Kiss” with Nordic combined skier Veronica Gianmoena. She then descended the HS 107 jump on skis while carrying the Olympic Torch. Particularly emotional was the stadium exit by former ski jumper Matteo Antico, who carried the flame despite now using a wheelchair following a paragliding accident.

All four participants shared the same feelings afterward:

“It’s an indescribable emotion, but also a great responsibility something we will remember for the rest of our lives.”

The torch then continued toward Tesero and Lago di Tesero. Shortly before 6 p.m., the flame entered the Cross-Country Ski Stadium, where Giuliano Vaia  86 years old and the oldest volunteer of Nordic Ski Val di Fiemme as well as of the home Olympics  handed it over to a group of torchbearers on skis: Antonella Confortola, Cristina Bellante, Michele Garzia, Cristina Paluselli, Enzo Macor, Ernesto Vinante, Bice Vanzetta and Andrea Longo. Together they skied along part of the course that will soon host the world’s best cross-country skiers. Pietro De Godenz, President of Nordic Ski Val di Fiemme, was the final torchbearer to leave the stadium.

After completing his section of the relay, De Godenz expressed his pride:

“This is the fulfillment of a dream. We worked hard to be here, and being part of a tradition like this just days before the Games begin makes us incredibly proud.”

In Cavalese, anticipation for Franco Nones’ arrival as the final torchbearer had been building since late afternoon. Entertainment and activities filled a packed Piazza Verdi, where all eyes were fixed on the Olympic cauldron positioned on stage.

At around 7:30 p.m., Nones arrived to thunderous applause from the crowd, who celebrated the most important moment of the day: the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. Standing beside him were Cristian Zorzi and Amos Mosaner, joined by institutional representatives including the President of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Maurizio Fugatti, who later stated:

“The emotion of standing on stage with the Olympic flame is immense, especially alongside great champions such as Franco Nones, one of the most important figures in Italian sport.”

Franco Nones himself described the experience as:

“An even greater emotion than receiving my Olympic gold medal.”

A day he will undoubtedly remember forever.

Tomorrow, the Olympic Torch Relay moves on to Trento, while Val di Fiemme now awaits the beginning of the five-ring spectacle.