Italy’s 4 flag bearers for Milan Cortina Winter Olympics honored in handover ceremony

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ROME (AP) — Italy’s four flag bearers for its upcoming home Milan Cortina Winter Olympics were honored in a handover ceremony at the presidential palace on Monday.

Short track speedskater Arianna Fontana, cross country skier Federico Pellegrino, Alpine skier Federica Brignone and curler Amos Mosaner were handed flags by Italy President Sergio Mattarella.

Skiers Chiara Mazzel and René De Silvestro, who will be flag bearers at the Paralympics, were also honored.

Fontana and Pellegrino will carry the flag at the main opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium on Feb. 6, while Brignone and Mosaner will have the honors at a simultaneous ceremony in Cortina d’Ampezzo on the same night.

Fontana has won an Italian women’s record 11 Olympic medals across five different Winter Games stretching back to Turin in 2006. She also carried her country’s flag at the opening ceremony for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

“Even if this will be my sixth Olympics, and my second time as flag bearer, it’s still emotional,” Fontana said.

Pellegrino has won two silver medals at the Olympics.

Brignone is the defending overall World Cup champion and has a silver and two bronzes from the Olympics. She's attempting to return from a major injury in time for the Games.

Mosaner teamed with Stefania Constantini to win gold in the mixed doubles at the 2022 Beijing Games.

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