|
Flame for Turin winter Olympics lit in Ancient Olympia
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-11-28 09:49
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece--High Priestess Theodora Siarkou here on Sunday
lighted the Olympic torch with a backup flame in an official lighting ceremony
for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
The high priestess,
played by Greek actress Theodora Siarkou, prays to God Apollo to send the
Sun's rays to ignite the Olympic flame during a ceremony in front
of the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia November 27, 2005.
[Reuters] |
|
Because of the overnight heavy rain and heavy clouds hovering the Ancient
Olympia -- the birthplace of the Olympics, the backup flame, which were kindled
with a concave steel mirror in a rehearsal on Saturday, were used to light the
Olympic Flame.
Bad weather affected the ceremony for the Sydney 2000 Summer Games, and the
past two Winter Olympics -- at Salt Lake City in 2002, and Nagano in 1998.
After the lighting ceremony, Siarkou and 17 female priestesses --all wearing
pleated white dresses and sandals -- carried the flame in a copy of an ancient
Greek pot to a cypress-ringed clearing in front of the cemetery of Pierre de
Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics.
High priestess
Theodora Siarkou (R) passes the Olympic flame to first torchbearer, Greek
pole vaulter Costas Filippidis, during the lighting ceremony for the 2006
Turin Winter Olympics in southwestern Olympia town November 27,
2005.[Reuters] |
|
Following a short dancing ceremony in front of a marble pillar under which
the French baron's heart is buried, Siarkou lit the official torch for the 20th
Winter Games, in the presence of Turinorganizing chief Valentino Castellani and
Greek Olympic Committee President Minos Kyriakou.
The first torch bearer 19-year-old Costas Filippidis, right hand with the
torch and left hand with the olive branch taken fromthe olive tree in front of
the Hera temple given by Siarkou, started the official torch relay on Greek
territory.
The torch relay in Greece will travel 69 municipalities and 18 prefectures,
covering 2006 kilometers with 534 torchbearers in 10-day period before it leaves
for Italy.
The Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games is scheduled for Feb. 10-26next
year.
|
