Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics set for lavish opening ceremony

[ad_1] The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics formally open with a star-studded opening ceremony on the San Siro Stadium on Friday.

Probably the most geographically dispersed Video games in historical past will begin in Italy's financial capital at 1900 GMT with a three-hour extravaganza that takes within the three different websites unfold throughout the Alps and the Dolomites.

Whereas particulars of the ceremony stay secret, the theme of concord runs via it, threading collectively completely different components from the monetary hub of Milan to the snow-capped mountains of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

And for the primary time the two,900 athletes will parade within the venues closest to the place they may compete, in a bid to minimise journey. They are going to be in Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo.

The opening ceremony is predicted to attract a world viewers of lots of of tens of millions and presents "a novel platform to convey constructive messages, not divisive ones", artistic director Marco Balich promised.

'No distractions'

Worldwide Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry and US Vice President JD Vance at a heads of state dinner on the eve of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. © Luca Bruno, AFP Balich, who additionally directed the Turin Winter Video games curtain-raiser in 2006, intends to pay tribute to Italian design and trend, with a particular nod to the designer Giorgio Armani, who handed away final 12 months.

He stated the ceremony "will inform the story of a younger and trendy Italy, wanting in the direction of the long run, with out indulging within the Dolce Vita".

American singer Mariah Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Chinese language pianist Lang Lang are to carry out.

Dozens of dignitaries will attend, together with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Watch extra Extra than simply video games: What stakes as Italy hosts Winter Olympics?

Vance met Worldwide Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry, who's overseeing her first Video games since her election in March, at a dinner for heads of state on Thursday.

America hosts the following Olympics, the 2028 Summer season Video games, in Los Angeles.

Coventry has stated she hopes "something that's distracting from" the Milan-Cortina Olympics can be put apart for the February 6-22 extravaganza.

She was hinting at anger in Italy after it emerged that brokers from the US immigration enforcement company ICE may have an "advisory" function on the Video games.

Rome has denied that the brokers may have any operational function on its soil.

USA girls's ice hockey ahead Hayley Scamurra (centre) is mobbed by her teammates after scoring of their opening win towards the Czech Republic. © Alexander Nemenov, AFP Probably the most distinguished US athletes, reigning Olympic snowboard champion Chloe Kim, took obvious purpose at President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown as she arrived in Italy.

Kim stated in an Instagram submit she was proud to symbolize a rustic that's "strongest when it embraces range, dignity, and hope".

"My dad and mom left South Korea searching for a greater future for his or her household. They left behind every part they knew in order that my sisters and I may have the possibility to someday dwell the American dream," she added.

Hypothesis surrounds torchbearers The Olympic flame reached Milan on Thursday however organisers have tried to maintain the identification of the ultimate two torchbearers for the opening ceremony underneath wraps.

They'll concurrently mild two cauldrons impressed by Leonardo da Vinci's knots, one suspended underneath Milan's Arch of Peace, and the opposite in Piazza Dibona in Cortina.