MILAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic cauldrons were lit simultaneously in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo as the 2026 Winter Games opened on Friday.

This photo taken on Feb. 6, 2026 shows the Olympic rings at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan, Italy. (Photo: Xinhua)

The cauldron lighting ceremony took place at Milan's Arco della Pace and Cortina's Piazza Angelo Dibona.

After the Olympic flame arrived in Italy on December 4, 2025, the torch relay traversed 12,000 kilometers across the country, involving more than 10,000 torchbearers from all walks of life.

Milan-Cortina 2026, which features 116 events across 16 disciplines, is held from February 6 to 22. It marks the third time that Italy has hosted the Winter Olympics, following Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956 and Turin in 2006.