THE London 2012 Olympic torch was lit by the sun’s rays on the site of ancient Olympia yesterday, kicking off the relay for the Summer Games On a warm and sunny day at the site of the ancient Olympics, actress Ino Menegaki, playing the high priestess, appealed to sun God Apollo and needed only a few seconds to ignite the torch at the ruins of the Temple of Hera with the help of a parabolic mirror, 78 days before the Games get under way.
The relay’s first torchbearer, Spyros Gianniotis, a Liverpool-born Greek swimmer who won the gold medal in the 10-km open water event at the 2011 world championships, started the seven-day Greek leg of the relay before the flame is handed over to London organisers on May 17 and flown to Britain a day later. The second torchbearer was 19-year-old Alexander Loukos, a Briton of Greek origin. “With this ceremony we begin the final countdown to a dream that came to life seven years ago in Singapore, when London was selected to host the 2012 Games,” said IOC president Jacques Rogge in a brief speech.
London 2012 torch lit This is the last torch ceremony of his presidency, as Rogge steps down next year after 12 years in charge. “The energy that passes from the sun to the Olympic flame will light a torch that will travel from this birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games to the country that invented modern sport and the spirit of fair play, heralding the opening of the 2012 London Games on July 27,” the Belgian surgeon said. Olympic, London and Greek officials were seated inside the stadium where the ancient Games were held and some 5 000 spectators watched the ceremony from the grassy slopes hugging the arena. A strong police presence around the ancient site, and in the town of Olympia, made sure the event went off without a hitch. Four years ago human rights activists briefly disrupted the Beijing Olympics ceremony.