Overview
- The relay set off from Rome’s Stadio dei Marmi, with swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri the first torchbearer on a 12,000-km route through all 20 regions and 110 provinces carried by 10,001 participants.
- At the Quirinale, President Sergio Mattarella ignited a ceremonial cauldron alongside IOC president Kirsty Coventry and called for respect of an Olympic truce.
- Milan’s Santa Giulia ice-hockey arena remains behind schedule, with organisers planning a Jan. 9–11 test event and the developer saying the venue will be delivered in January.
- The International Ski Federation flagged permitting delays for Livigno’s artificial-snow system, while state venue firm SiMiCo said snowmaking should start next week due to low temperatures.
- Roughly 850,000 of about 1.4–1.5 million tickets have been sold, with promotions and additional releases underway, and police said small groups were prevented from disrupting the opening relay leg in Rome.