by InTrieste
Interview: Matteo Parenzan, Trieste’s Paralympic table tennis champion; Andrea Macrì, a Paralympic ice hockey player set to compete in Milano Cortina
On Friday evening, the Olympic flame for the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Games arrived in Trieste, marking the 47th stage of its journey from Greece to northern Italy and culminating in a ceremony in the city’s landmark Piazza Unità.
The honor of lighting the ceremonial cauldron was given to Veronica Toniolo, a Trieste-born judoka who recently won a silver and a bronze medal at the European Championships. Her gesture, greeted by applause from the crowd gathered in the vast, sea-facing square, symbolically linked the city to the countdown toward the opening of the Winter Olympics, scheduled to begin on February 6, 2026, in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The flame reached Trieste in the late afternoon after passing through Aquileia, Ronchi dei Legionari, and Monfalcone, continuing a coastal route that connected several communities in Friuli Venezia Giulia before arriving in the regional capital. It entered the city in the hands of Diego Caserio, a former skier and hockey player who lost a leg following an accident and has since become a symbol of resilience in Italian sport.
From Viale Miramare, the torch followed a long route through the city streets, changing hands every 200 meters among 42 torchbearers—a word of Greek origin meaning “bearers of the flame.” Among them were prominent figures from Trieste’s sporting history, including Giovanna Mìcol, a sailor from the team that won the first Women’s America’s Cup, and Alberto Tonut, a member of Italy’s national basketball team that claimed European gold in 1983.
The relay also featured athletes who have stood on Olympic and Paralympic podiums. Matteo Parenzan, who won gold in table tennis at the Paris Paralympic Games two years ago, and Margherita Granbassi, a fencer who earned two bronze medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, were among those who carried the flame through the city.
Not all moments along the route were celebratory. In Piazza Libertà, several dozen pro-Palestinian demonstrators displayed flags and banners protesting Israel’s participation in the Games. Another protester was briefly stopped by security near the stage in Piazza Unità, a short distance from Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, who was waiting to formally welcome the flame alongside a delegation from the municipal administration.
The torch’s journey will continue on Saturday, January 24, when it departs Trieste en route to Gorizia and Udine, carrying forward a ritual that blends sport, symbolism, and civic identity as Italy prepares to host the world for the 2026 Winter Games.
