Brooklyn Doctor Is Olympic Torchbearer For Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games

By Office of Communications & Marketing | Feb 4, 2026

Park Slope Resident was selected as one of 10,001 Olympic Torchbearers.

BROOKLYN, NY—For the last three decades, Riccardo Bianchi’s mornings have begun in Prospect Park. On January 9, the Park Slope runner and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University educator started a very different run. Riccardo Bianchi, Ph.D., Associate Dean for the Foundations of Medicine and Associate Professor of Physiology, carried the Olympic flame as part of its journey toward the February 6 opening of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

Dr. Bianchi, a Park Slope resident for nearly 35 years, was selected from more than 1.5 million applicants worldwide as one of 10,001 Olympic Torch Bearers. This global group was chosen to represent the Olympic ideals of passion, excellence, and respect. The Torch Relay itself spans 63 days and 12,000 kilometers, traversing all 110 provinces of Italy and passing more than 60 UNESCO World Heritage sites before arriving in Milan for the Opening Ceremony.

On his historic January 9 run, Dr. Bianchi carried the torch through La Spezia, Italy, his childhood hometown, where family, friends, neighbors, and local schoolchildren lined the streets, cheering as he ran an estimated 200–300 meters. A brief ceremonial transfer of the flame, known as the “Torch Kiss,”occurred when Dr. Bianchi passed it to the next bearer, a symbolic moment that emphasized continuity, community, and shared purpose.

Brooklyn has long been home by choice. Dr. Bianchi credits the borough’s sense of community, walkable streets, and the shared energy of Prospect Park with shaping his life and passion for running. For him, running is a discipline and a teaching tool.

At Downstate, Dr. Bianchi shapes the early medical education of future physicians as Associate Dean for the Foundations of Medicine, overseeing curriculum implementation in the pre-clerkship years, supporting students’ academic growth, and ensuring timely, thoughtful feedback that helps transition aspiring doctors from classroom learners to competent clinicians. He also champions physical activity as a cornerstone of wellness, regularly underscoring movement’s role in stress management, mental resilience, and lifelong health in his lectures and mentorship.

A member of the Brooklyn Road Runner Club since 1998, he regularly trains with the Prospect Park Track Club and the North Brooklyn Runners, where he co-coaches a weekly Form Run, a free session open to runners of all levels focused on injury prevention, efficient mechanics, and longevity in the sport. His running résumé comprises 25 marathons, including 22 New York City Marathons and three Boston Marathons; more than 200 competitive races overall; and recent marathon times that reflect disciplined preparation and endurance. His weekly mileage still ranges from 30 to 45 miles, often logged before or after long days spent teaching, mentoring, and leading at Downstate.

“Running teaches you patience, humility, and resilience,” said Dr. Bianchi. “Those lessons translate directly into medicine, teaching, and service. Carrying the Olympic torch was deeply personal, and it felt like I was carrying the spirit of every running community that shaped me—especially Brooklyn.”

As the Olympic flame continues its journey across Italy and toward the opening ceremonies, Dr. Bianchi’s run through La Spezia stands as a powerful convergence of past and present, a moment rooted in Brooklyn’s everyday paths and elevated on the global stage.

SUNY Downstate celebrates Dr. Bianchi’s achievement as a reflection of its mission to advance health, education, and community well-being, and as a reminder that Olympic ideals are often forged far from stadiums, one step at a time.

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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, located in Brooklyn, is one of four academic medical centers in the 64-campus SUNY system, and the only one in New York City. With a mission to educate health professionals, advance research, and provide care to Brooklyn’s 2.7 million residents, Downstate is deeply rooted in its community.

Its teaching hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), offers high-quality, comprehensive care across 53 specialties and subspecialties. UHD is home to Brooklyn’s only kidney transplant program. It is recognized for excellence in high-risk neonatal care, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis.

Downstate also encompasses five schools: Medicine, Nursing, Health Professions, Graduate Studies, and Public Health. It fosters biotech innovation through its Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT. It is committed to #KeepCareClose for the communities it serves through its clinical, academic, and research missions. Click here for more information.