With just under two months until the start of the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy, only about half of the 1.5 million tickets available have been sold.

The reason? Italian interest in the Olympics is lagging.

But Italian organizers believe that will change as the Olympic flame lit in ancient Olympia, Greece, is carried across the country before being used in the Games’ Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 6.

“That’s normal. The local fans get interested closer and I think the beginning of the torch relay will be a very important moment for people realizing that,” the CEO of Italy’s Games organizing committee, Andrea Varnier, told The Associated Press .

Varnier said shortly before the flame reached Rome over the weekend that he’s already seeing some positive signs that Italians

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