IOC President Kirsty Coventry speaks at the Opening Ceremony of the XXV Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy
photo: IOC
Passion, pageantry, and a prominent presence for ice hockey marked the Opening Ceremony of the XXV Olympic Winter Games in northern Italy on Friday evening.
It was staged primarily in front of close to 60,000 spectators at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium, the longtime home of the Inter Milan football club. The spectacular opening ceremony featured no fewer than seven hockey stars serving as flag-bearers during the parade of nations. There are 92 countries taking part at these Olympics, with 13 nations in women’s and men’s hockey combined.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl, who recently became the first German to record 1,000 NHL points, was a flag-bearer for Germany. Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, who scored the winning goal when Czechia captured gold at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Prague, did the honours for his country.
For Switzerland, it was veteran Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter, a member of all four Swiss silver medal-winning squads at the Men’s Worlds in this century. Mikko Lehtonen, the lone returning player from Finland’s 2022 Olympic gold medal squad, waved the flag for Suomi. Danish captain Jesper Jensen Aabo, Latvian captain Kaspars Daugavins, and Slovak captain Tomas Tatar were all flag-bearers as well.
It was an indelible reminder of the pride these players take in representing their countries and of the unmatched visibility that Olympic participation gives hockey globally.
It was staged primarily in front of close to 60,000 spectators at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium, the longtime home of the Inter Milan football club. The spectacular opening ceremony featured no fewer than seven hockey stars serving as flag-bearers during the parade of nations. There are 92 countries taking part at these Olympics, with 13 nations in women’s and men’s hockey combined.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl, who recently became the first German to record 1,000 NHL points, was a flag-bearer for Germany. Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, who scored the winning goal when Czechia captured gold at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Prague, did the honours for his country.
For Switzerland, it was veteran Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter, a member of all four Swiss silver medal-winning squads at the Men’s Worlds in this century. Mikko Lehtonen, the lone returning player from Finland’s 2022 Olympic gold medal squad, waved the flag for Suomi. Danish captain Jesper Jensen Aabo, Latvian captain Kaspars Daugavins, and Slovak captain Tomas Tatar were all flag-bearers as well.
It was an indelible reminder of the pride these players take in representing their countries and of the unmatched visibility that Olympic participation gives hockey globally.
“This is the magic of the Olympic Games, inspiring us all to be the best we can be, together,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
Unusually, the Olympic Stadium wasn’t the lone venue. There were two simultaneous lightings of Olympic cauldrons in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the mountain co-host city that also played home to the 1956 Winter Olympics. Legendary Italian Alpine skiers did the honours, including Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni in Milan and Sofia Goggia in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Other Opening Ceremony sites included the ski jumping centre in Predazzo and the snow park in Livigno, reflecting how these Winter Games are – unprecedentedly – spread out over more than 22,000 square kilometres.
The lavish ceremony – featuring more than 1,300 cast members from nearly 30 countries – also included live musical performances by Italian stars like Laura Pausini and Cecilia Bartoli. The great tenor Andrea Bocelli provided a spine-chilling version of “Nessun Dorma,” as the late Luciano Pavarotti did at the 2006 Closing Ceremony in Turin. American pop singer Mariah Carey, a five-time Grammy winner, sang the 1958 Italian Eurovision song “Volare.”
Celebrities representing different fields were plentiful. South African actress Charlize Theron read a message about peace by her fellow countryman Nelson Mandela. Legendary Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge helped to carry the Olympic flag into the stadium.
The surreal festivities included angels, gigantic tubes of paint, snatches of Vivaldi and Rossini, and massive displays of choreographed dancing, all in celebration of Italy’s rich cultural heritage.
The Olympic women’s hockey tournament kicked off the day before the Opening Ceremony. The men’s tournament will get underway on 11 February.
Unusually, the Olympic Stadium wasn’t the lone venue. There were two simultaneous lightings of Olympic cauldrons in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the mountain co-host city that also played home to the 1956 Winter Olympics. Legendary Italian Alpine skiers did the honours, including Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni in Milan and Sofia Goggia in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Other Opening Ceremony sites included the ski jumping centre in Predazzo and the snow park in Livigno, reflecting how these Winter Games are – unprecedentedly – spread out over more than 22,000 square kilometres.
The lavish ceremony – featuring more than 1,300 cast members from nearly 30 countries – also included live musical performances by Italian stars like Laura Pausini and Cecilia Bartoli. The great tenor Andrea Bocelli provided a spine-chilling version of “Nessun Dorma,” as the late Luciano Pavarotti did at the 2006 Closing Ceremony in Turin. American pop singer Mariah Carey, a five-time Grammy winner, sang the 1958 Italian Eurovision song “Volare.”
Celebrities representing different fields were plentiful. South African actress Charlize Theron read a message about peace by her fellow countryman Nelson Mandela. Legendary Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge helped to carry the Olympic flag into the stadium.
The surreal festivities included angels, gigantic tubes of paint, snatches of Vivaldi and Rossini, and massive displays of choreographed dancing, all in celebration of Italy’s rich cultural heritage.
The Olympic women’s hockey tournament kicked off the day before the Opening Ceremony. The men’s tournament will get underway on 11 February.