Olympia Torch Lighting Marks the Countdown of 2012 London Olympics

Olympia Torch Lighting Marks the Countdown of 2012 London Olympics

The traditional countdown to the London Olympics began with the lighting of the Games torch using the sun's rays in ancient Olympia on Thursday, commencing a relay that will culminate with the lighting of the Olympic stadium's cauldron at the opening ceremony on July 27.

On a sunny day at the site of the ancient Olympics, actress Ino Menegaki, who played the role of 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 aid of a parabolic mirror, 78 days before the Games.

The relay's first torchbearer, a Liverpool-born Greek swimmer Spyros Gianniotis, 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 the organizers in London 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 International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge announced in a brief speech.

This would be the last torch ceremony under his presidency, as Rogge is scheduled to step down next year after 12 years of holding the title.

"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.

Officials from Greece, Olympia and London were seated inside the stadium where the ancient Games were held and some 5,000 spectators watched the ceremony from the grassy slopes surrounding the arena.

Heightened security is implemented around the ancient site, and in the town of Olympia, making sure the event went off without a hitch.

London is the only city to have received the Olympic flame twice - the first time being for the 1948 Games.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Friday May 11 2012, 4:33 AM EST. Ref: Google. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0