Sawt Falasteen - Winter Olympics to open with star-studded ceremony

The extravaganza will get underway in Italy's economic capital at 1900 GMT and will also involve three other venues to reflect the most geographically dispersed Games in history.

For the first time the 2,900 athletes will parade in the venues closest to where they will compete, in a bid to minimise travel.

Two cauldrons will be lit simultaneously -- one at Milan's Arch of Peace and another in the centre of Cortina d'Ampezzo, the chic resort in the Dolomite mountains 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Milan that is hosting the women's alpine skiing and other events.

Organisers have tried to keep the identity of the final two torchbearers for the ceremony under wraps, but it has been reported that Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni, two of Italy's most decorated alpine skiers, have been chosen.

American singer Mariah Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Chinese pianist Lang Lang are among the confirmed performers, but Olympics organisers always reserve some surprises.

The ceremony is expected to draw a global audience of hundreds of millions and offers "a unique platform to convey positive messages, not divisive ones," creative director Marco Balich promised.

Balich intends to pay tribute to Italian fashion, with a special nod to the designer Giorgio Armani, who died last year.

US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the dignitaries who will attend.

Vance held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, praising the organisation of the Olympics and saying they were "coming together around shared values".

There has been anger in Italy over the presence of agents from the US immigration enforcement agency ICE as part of security for the American delegation, even though the Italian government has said the agents will not have any operational role on its soil.

Hundreds of students from high schools and universities in Milan gathered to protest against ICE.

- Remarkable Vonn -

Lindsey Vonn, the biggest star at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, passed a crucial test of her injured knee on Friday.

The American skier successfully completed her first training run for the downhill event, despite competing with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

It kept alive the 41-year-old's hopes of medal glory in Italy.

Vonn won her only Olympic gold at the Vancouver Games, 16 years ago, but also has two bronze medals.

A top-three placing in Sunday's final would cap a remarkable comeback from retirement that has been elevated to extraordinary by the ACL injury she suffered in a pre-Olympics race.

Wearing a knee brace, Vonn completed the run at Cortina without apparent difficulty, shrugging off delays of more than an hour due to fog.

Before skiing on Friday, she posted on Instagram: "Nothing makes me happier! No one would have believed I would be here... but I made it!! I'm here, I'm smiling and no matter what, I know how lucky I am. I'm not going to waste this chance."

Asked by reporters after the race if everything was "all good", Vonn responded simply "yeah".

Competitive action in the figure skating has begun, with defending champions the United States taking an early lead in the team event thanks to world champion ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

Curling, snowboarding and the women's ice hockey competition are also in full swing.

M.Qasim--SF-PST