The Olympic flag is back in France.
Less than 24 hours after the closing ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, and the official handover of the Olympic flag to French Alps 2030, the first major milestone for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games took place in France on Monday (23 February).
Celebrations were held in Albertville, host city of the 1992 Winter Olympic Games, to honor the French delegation returning from Milano Cortina 2026 and to celebrate the return of the Olympic flag to the Alps.
More than 6,000 people gathered to celebrate the nation’s 76 athletes, including several medalists, before the Olympic flag was unfurled on the 1992 Albertville Olympic flagpole.
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), said: “Tonight, we celebrate our heroes of Milano Cortina in an incredible atmosphere of festivity and collective pride. This grand homecoming marks the true kickoff of our journey towards French Alps 2030 with the return of the Olympic flag.
“The momentum is now underway, driven by the energy of the 6,500 people gathered tonight at the Halle Olympique in Albertville,” she added.
Tributes were paid to the legacy of the Olympic Winter Games Albertville 1992 with fans chanting ‘Allez les Bleus’ during a packed program filled with powerful symbolism.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/winter-olympics-2030-french-alps-olympic-flag-arrives-in-albertville-day-of-celebration
