Milan Olympics Opens With Unity Message Across Italy

Fireworks lit up the sky above Milan's San Siro Stadium on Friday night as the Winter Olympics opened with a celebration spread across four Italian cities, making this the most widespread Games in Olympic history.

Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli performed for tens of thousands inside San Siro, while athletes paraded in venues hundreds of kilometers apart, from Milan to Cortina d'Ampezzo to Livigno. The 3.5 hour ceremony honored Italian icons from Leonardo da Vinci to Giorgio Armani, complete with tributes to the country's famous cuisine and wine.

But the real stars were the 2,900 athletes from 92 countries who came together despite a world facing division and conflict. For the first time ever, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Arab Emirates sent athletes to the Winter Games.

War-torn Ukraine received some of the loudest cheers as their team entered, led by skeleton competitor Vladyslav Heraskevych and speedskater Yelyzaveta Sydorko. Former Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba carried the Olympic flag, recognized for his decades of work toward nuclear disarmament.

Japan brought one of the largest delegations, with speedskater Wataru Morishige and snowboarder Sena Tomita proudly carrying their nation's flag at different venues. The decentralized format meant some countries had only virtual representation at certain locations, with video screens showing athletes parading elsewhere until Albania's team finally arrived in person to roaring applause.

Why This Inspires

In her first Games as IOC President, Kirsty Coventry captured the Olympic spirit perfectly. "In Africa, where I'm from, we have a word: ubuntu. It means: I am because we are. That we rise by lifting others," she told the crowd.

Giovanni Malago, president of the organizing committee, acknowledged the challenges facing the world today. "At a time when so much of the world is divided by conflict, your very presence demonstrates that another world is possible," he told the athletes. "One of unity, respect and harmony."

The ceremony concluded with Italian Alpine skiing legends Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lighting the Olympic cauldron at Milan's Arco della Pace. A second cauldron was lit simultaneously in Cortina d'Ampezzo, symbolizing the connection between all four host cities.

Despite early concerns about the scattered venues and construction delays, the smooth execution of this unprecedented multi-city opening suggests that bringing people together across distances is not only possible but powerful.