Olympic Flame reaches Bologna one month before Winter Games

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

The flame began its journey across Italy from Rome a month ago and has been to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, as well as the southern cities of Naples and Bari as part of a 12,000 kilometre (7,450 mile) journey that will end in Milan’s San Siro stadium on February 6.

The relay on Tuesday 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.

The relay has been part of efforts to generate excitement across the country before the Games that will be staged at a variety of locations, with the financial capital Milan and the Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo as the two main bases.

MORE TICKETS GOING ON SALE

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

Additional tickets will go on sale on Wednesday for the women’s Alpine ski races in Cortina, local organisers said, indicating that some of the fears over transport issues had eased.

Reuters reported in November that ticket sales for the Cortina venues had been capped because of worries over congestion and access to the Alpine resort.

Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, told Reuters on Tuesday that preparations were back on schedule, with snowmaking progressing well across the mountain venues after a slow start.

In Milan, the main ice hockey venue will hold a first test event this coming weekend, leaving little time to iron out any teething troubles.

The surface at the new Santagiulia ice hockey arena will be a little shorter than NHL specifications, which had raised some concerns over the risk of more high-speed collisions.

Players from the elite North American NHL are due to return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.