On January 6, one month before the opening of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, Champion for Peace and Olympic gold medallist, Vénuste Niyongabo, took part in the Olympic torch relay, highlighting the role of sport in building bridges and promoting a culture of peace.
As part of its Olympic Truce promotion programme, Milano Cortina 2026 chose to enhance the Olympic torch relay through dedicated “Sport for Peace” initiatives. In this context, the figure of the Olympic Truce Torchbearer was introduced, honouring individuals recognised for their civic engagement, commitment to peace and dialogue, and support for vulnerable communities. At each stage of the Olympic torch relay, an emblematic figure is thus selected to embody and carry the Olympic Truce’s core message of peace.
Champion for Peace Vénuste Niyongabo was chosen for this meaningful role for the relay stage in Bologna, his adoptive city. Originally from Burundi, he made history at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games by winning gold in the 5,000 meters, becoming the first—and to date only—Olympic champion from his country, which at the time was divided by a civil war. In 2009, he joined Peace and Sport as a Champion for Peace and now, through the Fondation Vénuste Niyongabo, he supports disadvantaged communities in Burundi through programs that integrate sport, education, social inclusion, and health.
Beyond his individual journey, this moment reflects the collective engagement of the Champions for Peace—over 100 high-level athletes worldwide who actively support Peace and Sport’s mission. Several of them were already involved in the Olympic torch relay, raising awareness on the power of sport for peace at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Among them Didier Drogba (UEFA Champions League winner, former Côte d’Ivoire captain), Muriel Hurtis (World and European champion in athletics), Tony Estanguet (three-time Olympic champion in canoe slalom), Marie-José Pérec (three-time Olympic champion in athletics), Christian Karembeu (1998 FIFA World Cup winner), Isabelle Yacoubou (European basketball champion), Stéphane Diagana (world and European champion in athletics) and Sarah Ourahmoune (Olympic silver medallist in boxing).
Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, world champion and Olympic medalist in modern pentathlon, has himself carried the Olympic flame in 2024. He declared: “In sport, everyone is equal in front of the rules. This erases all differences and is the basis for peaceful coexistence. I am proud to see Champions for Peace acting as torchbearers of the Olympic Truce, reflecting Peace and Sport’s values and long-term commitment”.
The timing of this relay carries particular significance in the current complex geopolitical context. The Olympic Truce, adopted unanimously by the United Nations’ member states last November, reaffirms the role of sport as a channel for dialogue at times when political pathways are strained. As Milano Cortina approaches, the Olympic Games emerge as a unique space for encounter, dialogue, and shared humanity.
By carrying the Olympic Truce flame, Champions for Peace do more than taking part in a ceremony. They carry a shared message: peace is a continuous effort—one that sport, and those who uphold its values, can help sustain.
