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Olympic cauldrons extinguished in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, signaling end of 2026 Winter Olympics
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Olympic cauldrons extinguished in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, signaling end of 2026 Winter Olympics

#Milan Cortina Olympics #Olympic Closing Ceremony #Verona Arena #Winter Olympics 2026 #Olympic Flame #Olympic Flag Handover #Geographically Spread Games #Italian Culture

📌 Key Takeaways

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics concluded with twin Olympic flames extinguished in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo
  • The Games spanned 22,000 square kilometers, making them the most geographically spread-out Winter Olympics ever
  • The closing ceremony featured Italian cultural elements from opera to pop music
  • The Olympic flag was handed over to France as the next host nation for the 2030 Winter Games
  • The Games included 116 medal events across 8 sports and 16 disciplines, with ski mountaineering making its debut

📖 Full Retelling

The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics concluded on Sunday, February 22, 2026, as International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry declared the Games over following the ceremonial extinguishing of twin Olympic flames in co-host cities Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo during a closing ceremony held in the ancient Verona Arena, which served as a symbolic midpoint between the far-flung venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games in history. The 2½-hour ceremony celebrated Italian culture through a vibrant performance that lyric opera to modern pop music, featuring Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gabry Ponte, who energized the 1,500 athletes with an upbeat dance number as color confetti exploded on stage. In a symbolic moment, the Olympic flame encased in a Venetian glass vessel was carried into the Arena by Italian gold medalists from the 1994 Lillehammer Games, before being used to illuminate the Olympic rings that appeared high on the stone stairs behind the stage. The ceremony concluded with the unprecedented extinguishing of flames at both caldrons in Milan and Cortina, viewed simultaneously in Verona via video link, followed by a light show that substituted fireworks to protect animals from disturbance.

🏷️ Themes

Olympic Legacy, Cultural Celebration, Geographical Scale, Sustainable Model

📚 Related People & Topics

Verona Arena

Verona Arena

Roman amphitheatre in Verona, Italy

The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheatre located in the historic center of Verona, Italy. It is among the best-preserved ancient amphitheatres to have survived into the modern era. This remarkable state of preservation is largely due to systematic restoration efforts that began in the 16th century.

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Mediolan

Mediolan

miasto i gmina w północnych Włoszech

Mediolan (wł. Milano, łac. Mediolanum, lomb.

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Winter Olympic Games

Winter Olympic Games

Major international multi-sport event

The Winter Olympic Games (French: Jeux olympiques d'hiver), also known as the Olympic Winter Games or simply the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were...

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Olympic flame

Symbol of the Olympic Games

The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece.

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Original Source
By — Colleen Barry, Associated Press Colleen Barry, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Olympic cauldrons extinguished in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, signaling end of 2026 Winter Olympics World Feb 22, 2026 5:25 PM EST VERONA, Italy — The Milan Cortina Olympics ended Sunday as the twin flames in co-host cities Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo were extinguished as part of a closing ceremony inside the ancient Verona Arena, roughly mid-distance between the far-flung mountain, valley and city venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games ever. In declaring the 2026 Games over, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry told local organizers that they "delivered a new kind of winter games and you set a new, very high standard for the future." READ MORE: PHOTOS: Milan Cortina Olympics begin with opening ceremony A total of 116 medal events have been held in eight Olympic sports across 16 disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering this year, over the course of 17 days of competition. The closing ceremony paid tribute to Italian dance and music — from lyric opera to Italian pop of the 20th century to the DJ beat of Gabry Ponte, who got the 1,500 athletes on their feet for an upbeat dance number while color confetti exploded on stage. Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Ceremonies - Closing Ceremony - Verona Olympic Arena, Verona, Italy - February 22, 2026. Major Lazer perform during the closing ceremony. Photo by Claudia Greco via Reuters. Earlier, the 2026 Winter Olympians filed into the arena waving small national flags to a rousing medley of Italian pop hits from the 20th century as the crowd sang along, taking their seats in the stone arena in places marked by green, red and white lights for the Italian flag. READ MORE: 7 things to know about the 2026 Winter Olympics The 2½-hour ceremony opened with a whimsical tribute to Italian lyric opera, ...
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