Turin was the last Italian city to receive the Winter Olympic Handover Flag 20 years ago ©Getty Images

The ceremonial Olympic Flag which will be handed to Milan Cortina 2026 at the Closing Ceremony will not be put on public display until the Paralympic Flag has also arrived in Italy next month, insidethegames understands.

At the Closing Ceremony at the Beijing National Stadium tonight, Beijing Mayor Chen Jining will hand the flag to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, who will then pass it to Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala and Cortina d'Ampezzo counterpart Gianpietro Ghedina.

This will symbolise the formal handover to both 2026 host venues.

The flag will be flown back to Italy, where it is to be taken into the custody of the Milan Cortina 2026 Organising Committee until the conclusion of the Paralympic Games.

A welcome ceremony for the flags will take place in the middle of March to mark the arrival of both Olympic and Paralympic handover banners.

Milan Cortina 2026 President Giovanni Malagò is among the officials in Beijing for the Olympic handover ©Getty Images
Milan Cortina 2026 President Giovanni Malagò is among the officials in Beijing for the Olympic handover ©Getty Images

It is customary for the Olympic Flag to be displayed in the relevant municipal offices, but never before have two cities been involved in this way.

Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo are 400 kilometres apart, so it is thought unlikely that the flags will alternate between the two locations.

Some have suggested that it may be necessary for duplicate Olympic and Paralympic flags to be made, but Milan Cortina 2026 will have to consult the IOC on the protocol arrangements should it decide to do this. 

Cortina d'Ampezzo was the first town to receive the special Winter Olympic Handover Flag in 1956.

It was presented by the city of Oslo which had hosted the Winter Olympics in 1952.