Heads of French regions - hosts of the 2030 Winter Games - raise the Olympic flag // Photo: reuters.com
During the ceremony, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Salla and Cortina d’Ampezzo Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi handed over the Olympic flag to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry. The latter, in turn, handed over the flag to the heads of the French regions where the next Winter Olympics will be held – Fabrice Pancouk from the Rhône-Alpes region and Renaud Muselier, representing the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
In honor of the future hosts of the Winter Games
At the end of the Olympic flag handover ceremony, the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” in a modern arrangement was played over the amphitheater in Verona. French athletes who participated in the Olympics in Italy took the stage to the anthem.
The decision to hold the XXVI Winter Olympic Games in the French Alps was made at the IOC session on July 24, 2024. The Games are expected to be held from February 1 to 17, 2030.
