Following the official announcement by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), the well-known and talented actress Katerina Misichroni is taking over the duties of High Priestess for the Olympic Flame ceremonies, succeeding Mary Mina. Her first appearance in this iconic role will take place on September 10 at the Panathenaic Stadium, during the lighting and handover ceremony of the Flame for the Youth Olympic Games “Dakar 2026.”
As thinking citizens and lovers of the Olympic Ideal, this development evokes mixed feelings within us: on one hand, joy and anticipation for the new face; on the other, profound concern regarding the procedures and strategic choices made by the institutional bodies.
We wish to express our most sincere congratulations to Katerina Misichroni on her selection. Assuming the role of High Priestess is a supreme honor but also an immense responsibility, as she is called upon to embody the spirit, history, and global radiance of Olympism. We textually wish her every success in her work and are certain that she will respond with the necessary awe and her artistic sensitivity.
Transparency Demanded from the HOC: How is the High Priestess Selected?
On the occasion of this passing of the torch, we call upon the Hellenic Olympic Committee to enlighten public opinion. The official announcement of the HOC mentions, indicatively, that the selection was made “after considering other candidates”—without revealing a single detail about the process followed. It also states that the nomination was put forward by the President of the Olympic Torch Relay Commission, Thomas Tokas, and that the Plenary approved it unanimously. This, in itself, does not constitute evidence of transparency—but rather evidence of internal unanimity, which is a very different thing.
If we examine the current structure of the Olympic Torch Relay Commission (EOE) of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), we observe that none of its specific members possesses a purely artistic background (e.g., director, choreographer, or actor) in the strict professional sense. The composition of the committee consists primarily of former champions (Olympians), sports officials, and HOC executives.
It is therefore the right of Greek citizens to know:
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Is there, or is there ever conducted, a specific open process or audition for selecting a new High Priestess?
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Who were the “other candidates” considered, and by what criteria were they rejected?
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Who comprises the “artistic evaluation committee,” what are the specialized qualifications of its members, and who appointed them?
Criticism of the HOC: The Debut Belongs to Olympia, Not the Kallimarmaro
For about a decade now, we have observed with regret a practice by the HOC that tends to become the status quo: the debut of each new High Priestess taking place not at the birthplace of the Games, but directly at the Panathenaic Stadium—as explicitly confirmed in the June 10 announcement regarding Dakar.
This choice constitutes a historical and symbolic distortion. We all know that the roots of the lighting ceremony and the cradle of the Olympic Flame lie exclusively in the Sacred Altis of Ancient Olympia. That is where the heart of the institution beats. The first appearance of the new High Priestess, her “baptism by fire,” should inevitably take place at the birthplace of the Games.
Instead, the HOC systematically chooses to substitute the sanctuary of Ancient Olympia with the Panathenaic Stadium—which indeed holds its own immense historical value, but its role should be strictly limited to hosting the handover ceremony, not replacing the authentic birthplace of the lighting ritual. It is a shame and a direct threat to the authenticity of the greatest Olympic symbol to perform official Lighting Ceremonies for the Youth Olympic Games—both summer and winter—at the Kallimarmaro, far from the Sacred Altis.
And the problem does not stop there: the Olympic Movement itself has now institutionalized a second, competing flame—arbitrarily dubbed the “Flame of Peace“—which is lit each time in Rome for the needs of the European Youth Olympic Festivals and the European Games. The parallel existence of “alternative” flames with an Olympic veneer constitutes an alteration of the symbol and a deconstruction of the very meaning of the lighting.
The Silence of Submission of the authorities of Ilia and Olympia:
Finally, we cannot leave the Municipality of Ancient Olympia, as well as the rest of the institutional bodies of Elis, unaccountable. It is deeply disappointing to see how they have ceased to vigorously claim the exclusivity of the lighting ceremony in Olympia.
About a decade ago, the local community had fought great and moving battles against this clearly undermining decision—a decision initiated by the administration of the then-President of the HOC, Mr. Spyros Capralos. Today, the silence is absolute. The current inertia and silent acceptance of the downgrading of Olympia’s role by local leaders amounts to complicity in the gradual decoupling of the institution from its place of birth.
Katerina Misichroni assuming her duties is welcome news for the institution.
However, the institution is not exhausted by the person serving it; it lives or dies by the decisions of those who govern it. And those decisions—regarding the transparency of selection, the location of the debut, and respect for Olympia—remain inadequate to this day. Let us hope that at some point, the self-evident will once again become practice.