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MILAN – The Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina commenced in northern Italy on Friday, featuring the unprecedented simultaneous ignition of two Olympic cauldrons in the history of the games.

The same Olympic cauldrons were lit approximately 250 kilometers apart, one at the famous Arco della Pace in Milan and the other at Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina d’Ampezzo, marking the beginning of the athletic event that continues until Feb. 22.

For the first time, the games will carry the names of two cities, showcasing approximately 2,900 athletes from 92 national Olympic committees, who will compete in 116 medal events. The venues are located in four different areas — Milan, Valtellina, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and Val di Fiemme — with the opening ceremony’s athlete parade taking place in each location.

Only a small number of fans were allowed to watch live events during the 2022 Games in Beijing, which were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as Italy hosts the Winter Games for the third time, following the 1956 event in Cortina and the 2006 Games in Turin, spectators are being invited back.

The relay started in Rome on December 6, and following 63 days of movement across the southern European country, ended with the last torchbearers — Italian alpine skiing legends Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba — igniting the cauldron at Arco della Pace, while current downhill champion Sofia Goggia performed the task in Cortina.

Male speed skater Wataru Morishige carried the Japanese flag during the opening ceremony at Milan’s famous football stadium, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly referred to as San Siro, while Sena Tomita represented the women’s snowboard halfpipe team from Valtellina.

Zimbabwe’s international Olympic Committee leader, Kirsty Coventry, is managing her inaugural games as the first female and first African to hold the position, succeeding Thomas Bach in June.

“The essence of the Olympic Games goes beyond athletic competition. It reflects who we are as people — and what defines our humanity,” said Coventry, a backstroke gold medalist from the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, during her speech at the opening ceremony.

Here, athletes from all over the globe engage in intense competition — yet they also show respect, offer support, and motivate each other. They highlight that we are all linked, that our power stems from how we interact with one another, and that the finest aspects of human nature are revealed through bravery, empathy, and generosity.

Tadatoshi Akiba, the former mayor of Hiroshima, was one of the individuals recognized with the responsibility of carrying the Olympic flag, acknowledging his efforts in nuclear disarmament through Mayors for Peace, a global network of cities promoting the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Milan Cortina is set to be the most equally represented Winter Olympics in terms of gender, with women making up 47 percent of the participants. The event includes four new women’s competitions and 12 events that involve both genders.

Japan hopes to surpass its previous medal count of 18 achieved four years ago, with the goal of also exceeding the three gold medals it secured in 2022.

A last-minute addition of one participant means the Japanese team includes 121 athletes, three less than its biggest group in the previous event.