Sofia Goggia lights the cauldron in Cortina after helping Italy secure Olympic hosting rights

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Sofia Goggia had a key role in securing the hosting rights of the Milan Cortina Olympics for Italy.

So it seemed fitting that the Italian downhiller lit the cauldron in Cortina to conclude Friday’s opening ceremony, while retired Olympic skiing champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni performed the honors simultaneously in Milan.

Gustav Thoeni, the 1972 Olympic giant slalom champion, was the penultimate torch bearer up on the mountain and handed off to Goggia.

“It was a huge honor for me,” Goggia said, adding that she used breathing techniques in the ready room to keep calm. “It was even more of an honor to receive the torch from the hands of Gustav Thoeni. And to light the fire up at the same time with Compagnoni and Tomba."

In 2019, Goggia and snowboarder Michela Moioli made a joint speech and dabbed in unison before nearly 100 members of the International Olympic Committee at the voting session for the 2026 Games. Their presentation was later considered vital for Milan Cortina’s successful bid — winning over voters with their positive energy to overcome a rival candidacy from Sweden.

“We brought this candidature in Italy," Goggia said, “And now I lighted up the fire.”

Goggia won gold in the downhill at the 2018 Olympics and took silver four years later in Beijing weeks after crashing in Cortina.

She’ll race for more medals in the women’s downhill on Sunday in Cortina.

Goggia was informed that she had been selected for the job in December. Then she had to try to forget about it for a while she competed on the World Cup circuit.

After struggling for several weeks, Goggia returned to the podium in her final race before the Olympics, finishing second in a World Cup super-G.

Then her thoughts turned to a home Olympics. And the cauldron.

“I didn’t think it would have touched me so much inside,” Goggia said. “It was really an emotional and personal moment and like a bit holy.”

With the cauldron duties finishing near midnight, Goggia rushed back to her team hotel in Cortina. She had to be on the race hill early Saturday for downhill training.

“In two minutes I was in the hotel,” she said, describing how she bolted from the scene so quickly that she didn’t take off the radio ear piece that the ceremony’s organizers had her wear until she was in her hotel bathroom.

Goggia has had a series of highs and lows in Cortina. She’s won four World Cup downhills on the mountain but missed the 2021 world championships at the Alpine resort because of injury.

“There's a special place in my heart for this course,” Goggia said. “It's intense and free like I am.”

It was a big night for Italian Alpine skiers, with defending overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone one of the host country’s flag bearers in Cortina. Olympic curling champion Amos Mosaner, Italy’s other flag bearer in Cortina, held Brignone on his shoulders when the Azzurri paraded through the town center.

“I’m heavy,” Brignone said, “so I wasn’t sure he could carry me.”

Stefania Constantini, who won gold with Mosaner in mixed doubles in Beijing, and luger Dominik Fischnaller read the Olympic oath in Cortina.

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