MILANO-CORTINA FIRED UP TO BE READY

'Everything coming together' for Feb 6 start of Winter Games as torch lands in Bologna

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Former Italian football star Fabio Cannavaro with the Winter Olympics torch in Naples in December.

(REUTERS)

The Olympic torch made its way through heavy snow to reach the northern Italian city of Bologna on Jan 6, with just a month to go until the start of the Milano-Cortina Winter Games.

The flame began its journey across Italy from Rome in December and has been to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, as well as the southern cities of Naples and Bari as part of a 12,000km journey that will end at Milan’s San Siro stadium on Feb 6.

The relay on Jan 6 took in the Formula One circuit in Imola, although its progress was slowed by snow that blanketed the Emilia-Romagna region.

Teenage presenters from local broadcaster Radioimmaginaria, who helped to carry the torch across Bologna, dedicated their run to peers killed in a New Year’s Eve fire at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. Giovanni Tamburi, a 16-year-old from Bologna, was one of those who died in the blaze.

As the Games approach, concerns over whether competition venues will be ready and accessible appear to be easing after weeks of uncertainty.