ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- 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 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 indoors to the nearby Archaeological Museum.
Petros Gkaidatzis, Greece's Olympic bronze medalist in rowing at Paris 2024, will serve as the first torchbearer of the relay. He replaces Alexandros Ginnis, who withdrew after being injured during training. In a letter to organizers, Ginnis said he was heartbroken to miss the opportunity and needed to focus on recovery ahead of the Winter Games.
Gkaidatzis said he was "tremendously honored" to be selected. "I consider carrying the Olympic flame as honorable as winning my bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games," he said.
The torch relay will begin after Wednesday's ceremony and travel 2,200 kilometers across Greece before the flame is handed to Italy at Athens' Panathenaic Stadium on December 4. ■
