Named “Essential”, torches designed for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were unveiled Monday simultaneously in Milan and Osaka, Japan where they will remain on display during Expo 2025. The torches have been designed with an emphasis on sustainability.
The minimalistic and metallic design is showcased in blue-green hues for the Olympics version and bronze tones for the Paralympics. The finish is described as “reflective” and “iridescent”, and is manufactured with a polymer containing 60 percent bio-naphtha derived from renewable raw materials. The torch itself is manufactured with recycled materials in an aluminum and brass alloy.
The simplicity of the torch is intended to showcase the flame itself which will be fueled by bio-LPG derived from renewable raw materials – mainly waste sources such as used cooking oil, animal fats and residues from the agricultural industry. The torches are built to be reused and refilled up to ten times in order to reduce the total required to run the entire relay, and the burner – the technological core in the Italian made device – is visible, thanks to the open concept design.
The reusability of the torches will disappoint torchbearers who want to bring home that ultimate souvenir from their experience. Torches were saved and reused for the Paris 2024 Games relay but for years prior to that edition, each torchbearer used a new torch and was given the option of purchasing the device. The Milano-Cortina organizing committee has not disclosed the total number of torches that will be manufactured.
Without the fuel cannister, the torch weighs approximately 1.06 kg, just under the 1.2 kg for Beijing 2022 but heavier then 0.84 kg for PyeongChang 2018. That’s a torchbearer friendly weight, well below the whopping 1.8 kg torch from the Sochi 2014 Games that was overwhelming for many runners.
The Olympic flame will emerge when the sun’s rays converge in a parabolic mirror at ancient Olympia in Greece on November 26 this year. From there, the flame will travel to Rome on December 4 for the relay set to begin December 6. It will be carried across Italy by 10,001 torchbearers for 12,000 km in 63 days – arriving in San Siro Olympic Stadium on February 6 for the Opening Ceremony.
The final surprise torchbearer will light the Olympic Cauldron where the flame will remain burning until the Closing Ceremony on February 22.
