Under a cloud, the Olympic flame begins its journey to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — The Olympic flame began its journey Wednesday to the Milan Cortina Winter Games — missing a little of its usual magic.

Bad weather lashing western Greece forced organizers to move the torch-lighting ceremony indoors, from Olympia’s ancient stadium and temples to a nearby museum.

The flame is lit by focusing the sun’s rays with a concave mirror. But with skies overcast, officials used a backup flame kindled during a brief spell of sunshine at Monday’s rehearsal.

Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis launched the torch relay, which, after reaching Italy, will be carried across the host country by about 10,000 runners before the Feb. 6–22 competition.

The sun ultimately made an appearance over rain-soaked OIympia on Wednesday during the indoor ceremony.

“It’s incredibly memorable and a little bit emotional for me to be standing here,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who was overseeing her first torch lighting after being elected to the post in March. “It feels like the past and the present are really coming together. We are extremely happy that today’s ceremony reminds us what the games stand for.”

Italy is hosting its third Winter Games, but preparations have been plagued by cost overruns and construction setbacks.

Organizers say there’s plenty for fans to look forward to: a program featuring 116 medal events, the debut of ski mountaineering, higher female participation and the return of NHL players to Olympic hockey.

After a short tour of Greece and a handover on Dec. 4, the flame will begin a 63-day, 12,000-kilometer relay through all 110 Italian provinces, highlighting cultural sites and host venues before reaching Milan’s San Siro Stadium for the opening ceremony.

“Over the next few weeks, the Olympic flame will pass through all the Italian provinces, 60 cities, 300 towns, 20 regions and all the UNESCO sites. It will travel from the northern peaks to the southern shores,” said Giovanni Malago, head of the Milan Cortina Organizing Committee. Speakers at Wednesday's ceremony urged world leaders to recognize the spirit of the Olympic Truce – an ancient Greek tradition pausing conflicts during the games to allow safe participation.

“Today humanity is going through a time of multiple and parallel crises. Wars proliferate from Europe to the Middle East and from Asia to Africa. So we should honestly admit that a society at war is a failed society,” the mayor of Ancient Olympia, Aristidis Panayiotopoulos, said. “The flame allows us to again recall the values that guide humanity, values that were born and forged here.”

Despite moving indoors, Wednesday’s ceremony retained its traditional elements: sculptural dance gestures by performers dressed as priestesses and male kouroi, and invocations in Greek to the ancient gods.

Artemis Ignatiou, the ceremony’s artistic director, said the team had prepared for the possibility of bad weather and that, despite the setback, “we gained something special: the energy of the museum and the archaeological space itself.”

Speaking to The Associated Press, Ignatiou said dancing among the statues “gave the ceremony a timeless feeling.”

A separate flame for the March 6–15 Winter Paralympics will be lit Feb. 24 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

High Priestess Mary Mina, left, lights a torch from the Olympic flame during the flame lighting ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the archaeological museum of Olympia, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, delivers a speech during the flame lighting ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the archaeological museum of Olympia, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis, right, and former Italy's Cross Country skier Stefania Belmondo start the torch relay after the ceremony of the flame lighting for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the archaeological museum of Olympia, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A girl releases a white pigeon during the start of the torch relay after the ceremony of the flame lighting for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the archaeological museum of Olympia, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Actress Mary Mina, right, playing the role of high priestess, passes the Olympic flame to the first torchbearer Greek rower Petros Gaidatzis, during the flame lighting ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the archaeological museum of Olympia, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

High Priestess Mary Mina, left, lights a torch from the Olympic flame during the flame lighting ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the archaeological museum of Olympia, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actress Mary Mina, playing a priestess, lights the flame during a rehearsal ahead of the flame lighting for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the Ancient Olympia site, Greece, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, delivers a speech during the flame lighting ceremony for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the archaeological museum of Olympia, Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actress Mary Mina, right, playing the role of high priestess performs passes the flame during a rehearsal ahead of the flame lighting for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the Ancient Olympia site, Greece, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Actress Mary Mina, right, playing the high priestess light lights the flame during a rehearsal ahead of the flame lighting for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the Ancient Olympia site, Greece, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Actress Mary Mina, playing the high priestess holds a pot with the flame during a rehearsal ahead of the flame lighting for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, at the Ancient Olympia site, Greece, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday that leader Kim Jong Un observed test-flights of hypersonic missiles and underscored the need to bolster the country’s nuclear war deterrent, as the country dials up weapons displays ahead of its major political conference.

North Korea reported on the drill a day after its neighbors said they detected multiple ballistic missile launches and accused the North of carrying out provocations. The tests came just hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for China for a summit with President Xi Jinping.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday’s drill involving a hypersonic weapon system was meant to examine its readiness, enhance missile troops’ firepower operational skills and evaluate operational capabilities of the country’s war deterrent.

“Through today’s launching drill, we can confirm that a very important technology task for national defense has been carried out,” Kim said, according to KCNA. “We must continuously upgrade the military means, especially offensive weapon systems."

The possession of a functioning hypersonic weapon would give North Korea an ability to penetrate the U.S. and South Korea's missile defense shields. In past years, North Korea has performed a series of tests to acquire it, but many foreign experts question whether the tested missiles have achieved their desired speed and maneuverability during flights.

In recent weeks, North Korea test-fired what it called long-range strategic cruise missiles and new anti-air missiles and released photos showing apparent progress in the construction of its first nuclear-powered submarine.

Observers say North Korea aims to demonstrate or review its achievements on the weapons development sector ahead of the ruling Workers' Party congress, the first of its kind in five years. Keen attention is on whether Kim would use the congress to set a new approach on relations with the U.S. and resume long-dormant talks.

North Korea's nuclear program is expected to be discussed when Lee and Xi meet for a summit later Monday. Lee's office earlier said he would call for China, North Korea’s major ally and economic pipeline take “a constructive role” in efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The latest launches followed Saturday’s audacious U.S. military operation that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power and brought him to the U.S. to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges. North Korea slammed the operation, saying it again shows “the rogue and brutal nature of the U.S."

Many experts say the U.S. operation likely leave Kim pushing to further expand his nuclear weapons capabilities that he thinks guarantees the survival of his government and state sovereignty in the face of U.S.-led hostilities.

During Sunday's launch drill, Kim defended his push for a stronger nuclear program. “Why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events,” he said.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, leader Kim Jong Un walks on a road as he inspects test-flights of hypersonic missiles, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center left, and his wife Kim Hea Kyung arrive to depart for China at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, visits a major munitions factory at an undisclosed place in North Korea Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)