Sawt Falasteen - Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics open with glittering ceremony

The extravaganza reflected the most geographically widespread Games in history and in a first, the 2,900 athletes paraded in the venues closest to where they will compete, in a bid to minimise travel.

Under tight security, with helicopters buzzing over the San Siro, the curtain went up on the Games in a burst of colour and light.

Athletes also gathered in a more intimate ceremony in snow-covered Cortina, the chic resort 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Milan that is hosting the women's alpine skiing.

There were also celebrations in Livigno and Predazzo elsewhere in the Italian Alps.

The San Siro show began with dancers from the famed Teatro alla Scala's academy taking centre stage, accompanied by symbols of Italian beauty and design.

The opening scenes also paid tribute to Italy's rich cultural heritage, with performers wearing outsized heads of the three great masters of Italian opera -- Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini.

American diva Mariah Carey took centre stage with the crowd singing along as she performed in a white sequined dress with feathers, singing "Volare" in Italian and "Nothing is Impossible".

The ceremony also paid tribute to the late Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani, with dozens of models wearing red, green, and white suits honouring his legacy.

A video showed Italian President Sergio Mattarella arriving at the stadium on one of the city's traditional yellow trams driven by Italian MotoGP great Valentino Rossi.

- Cauldrons -

Two cauldrons will be lit simultaneously -- one at Milan's Arch of Peace and another in Cortina.

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.

US Vice President JD Vance attended the ceremony in the VIP tribune with Mattarella and International Olympic Committee chief Kirsty Coventry.

Vance held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, praising the organisation of the Games.

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 -

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

The American skier successfully completed her first training run for the women's 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 injury she suffered in a pre-Olympics race.

Wearing a knee brace, Vonn completed the run at Cortina without apparent difficulty and before skiing she posted on Instagram: "Nothing makes me happier! No one would have believed I would be here... but I made it!!... 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.

The men's downhill race, one of the prestige events, kicks off the first full day of action on Saturday.

China's freestyle skier Eileen Gu, one of the faces of the 2022 Games in Beijing, launches her bid for triple gold as the women's slopestyle gets underway at Livigno Snow Park.

X.AbuJaber--SF-PST