An extraordinary photo: immortalizing the moment the Olympic cauldron was lit in Milan

MILAN (AP) — Bernat Armangue lives in Madrid and has worked for The Associated Press for 20 years, covering news and sports in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Here’s what he had to say about this amazing photo.

Why this photo?

Announcement

When the Olympic flame lights the cauldron, the Games are said to begin. Athletes will compete for days in their arenas, but the competition began years earlier when they chose to challenge themselves. And it doesn’t end when the flame of the cauldron goes out, because life goes on and brings with it new challenges.

Fire is hypnotic. You may stare at him, trying to read his movements, only to be surprised again and again. Maybe that’s why we can’t look away.

How I made this photo

From a technical point of view there is no mystery: a slow shutter speed to give the sense of movement; a camera mounted on a static head to avoid unnecessary movements caused by a shaking human hand; a closed aperture to increase depth of field. The shooting was done with a remote control, because we often need to take multiple images from multiple cameras at the same time.

Announcement

Because this photo works

Perhaps for the same reason why, on a cold Friday evening, Milanese and visitors gathered patiently at the Arco della Pace to welcome the Olympic flame which had reached its destination.

Because we seek understanding; because we don’t know if it will be the last time; because perhaps one day we will share our knowledge and challenges with future generations. Perhaps our memories, like the Olympic flame, will travel through time and across continents.

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