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The four bands then sounded the Olympic fanfare three times and eight athletes, escorted by a small group of sailors, marched on to the field carrying the Olympic flag, held horizontally. The flag was handed over to the sailors who slowly hoisted it on to the flagstaff. The band of the Carabinieri began to play the Olympic Hymn which was sung by the Choir of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia.

All the athletes present, limited in number to ensure the regularity of the parade, stood to attention upon the playing of the «leit-motif» of the Games and remained in that position until the flag had reached the top of the flagstaff and the choir finished their singing of the Hymn.

With the last notes of the Hymn still echoing through the air, the Mayor of Rome - followed by two uniformed valets - made his way up to the podium to receive the Olympic Flag, in embroidered satin, given in 1920 by the Belgian Olympic Committee, from the Mayor of Melbourne and the President of the I.O.C. The Olympic Flag will be kept in the Town Hall until the forthcoming Tokyo Olympic Games.

At 17.50 hrs., Giancarlo Peris, the last torchbearer in the Olympic Relay, made his entrance into the Stadium, preceded by three salvoes of artillery and by the symbolic release of pigeons, whilst all the bells of Rome sounded joyfully. Having circled right round the track, the athlete quickly ran up the 92 steps of the stairway, brought the Flame of the Torch up to the great green tripod located between the Olympic Flag, the Italian flag and the flag of Rome, and ignited the flame in the brazier.