OLYMPIA, Greece: The Olympic flame left Ancient Olympia in Greece Tuesday and began its long journey to the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in February.
Due to poor weather and the lack of sunshine, the flame which was lit on Sunday during rehearsals had to be used during the ceremonies.As rain fell, actors in ancient Greek costume resorted to the backup flame at the ruins of the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera instead of a scheduled ceremony using a parabolic mirror to kindle the flame.
The torch relay will take it around Greece and on to 2018 hosts South Korea.Dignitaries at the ceremony included Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-Yon and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
“Then and now, the Olympics is a symbol of hope and peace. We are carrying the ancient traditions to the future. The Games are universal and stand above all differences that divide us and are here to unite humanity,” Bach said.“Our Olympic values have stood the test of time of peace and understanding,” he added.
Bach praised the work of the South Koreans in organising the next Winter Games and added that “we are waiting for excellent Games”.President of the Pyeongchang 2018 Organising Committee Lee Hee Beom said the Winter Games in his country will be “safe and secure”.
“All countries have been invited to attend and it is an honour for us to host the competition. We will spread the word of peace and harmony,” Lee added.The South Korea government has promised that the Pyeongchang Games would be safe after some nations suggested they may skip the event if tensions over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions worsen.
The torch relay will cover 2,129 kilometres on Greek territory and will arrive at the Acropolis in Athens on October 30.Participating will be 505 torchbearers and 36 welcome ceremonies will be held in 20 districts during the eight days.On October 31 the flame will be handed over to the Pyeongchang 2018 Organising Committee during a nighttime ceremony at Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium.