Milano Cortina 2026 unveils 'Essential' Olympic torch, blending Italian design with sustainability

The organizers of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on Monday unveiled the official torches that will carry the flame of the Games, highlighting themes of Italian design, technological innovation and environmental sustainability.

Named "Essential," the torches were presented simultaneously at the Triennale di Milano in Italy and at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, in a ceremony underscoring both the international spirit of the Olympic Movement and the deep cultural roots of the host country.

Four celebrated athletes took part in the twin launch events: Stefania Belmondo, Olympic champion and the final torchbearer of Torino 2006, and Paralympic fencing gold medalist Bebe Vio introduced the torches in Milan, while Paralympic champion Martina Caironi and Sochi 2014 figure skating bronze medalist Carolina Kostner participated in the unveiling in Osaka.

The design of the torch pays tribute to simplicity and strength. Developed by Italian energy company Eni in collaboration with Versalis, and crafted by Studio Carlo Ratti Associati, the torch emphasizes the flame at its core, with a sleek, minimalist form and an iridescent finish. Two versions were revealed -- one in blue-green for the Olympic Games, and the other in bronze for the Paralympic Games.

Weighing just over one kilogram and produced entirely in Italy, each torch is made from a recycled aluminium and brass alloy. With reusability and sustainability in focus, the torches can be refilled and reused up to 10 times, significantly reducing production volume for the torch relays.

Powering the torch is bio-LPG, a renewable fuel derived from waste materials such as used cooking oil and animal fats, produced at Eni's biorefinery in Gela, Sicily. The burner, considered the technological heart of the torch, is visible for the first time thanks to an open design, offering the public a rare view into the mechanics that keep the Olympic flame alight.

Color choices reflect deep symbolism: "Shades of Sky" -- a nod to Italy's dynamic natural landscapes -- decorates the Olympic torch, evoking movement, hope and transformation. The Paralympic torch features "Mountains of Light," symbolizing resilience, strength and the transformative power of sport.

Organizers emphasized that each torch serves as both a functional object and a cultural icon, embodying the spirit of unity and excellence that defines the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Following the torch relays, the Olympic torch will become part of the official collection at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

The torches will be on public display at the Italia Pavilion throughout Expo 2025 in Osaka, and at the Triennale di Milano from May 2025 until the conclusion of the Games.

Milano Cortina 2026 unveils 'Essential' Olympic torch, blending Italian design with sustainability

Milano Cortina 2026 unveils 'Essential' Olympic torch, blending Italian design with sustainability

The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, the country's parliament, will hold a vote on May 8 to ratify a natural resources agreement signed with the United States earlier this week.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Wednesday an agreement between the two countries to establish the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which will give the U.S. preferential access to some of Ukraine's natural resources.

The fund will become operational within a month to a month and a half after the agreement is approved by the Ukrainian parliament, according to Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Friday.

Speaking to Ukrainian media, the minister expressed her hope for the early launch of the fund, saying it should become a tool for the recovery and development of key sectors of the Ukrainian economy.

Also on Friday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the follow-up technical documents for the fund will not be intergovernmental, but will be signed at the institutional level.

He said that the follow-up agreements will be of an implementation nature between Ukraine's designated agency and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and therefore will not require ratification by the parliament.

Although there are no formal security guarantees in the agreement, but each new military assistance provided by the U.S. to Ukraine is considered a capital contribution, which will encourage the U.S. administration to continue and not to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and intelligence, said the Ukrainian Prime Minister, who also called on the legislature to ratify the agreement as soon as possible.

Ukrainian parliament to vote on natural resources deal with U.S. on May 8