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The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Flame Is Lit In Greece

by Yuliya Talmazan | October 22, 2009 at 08:36 am

135 views | 24 Recommendations | 4 comments

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Flame was lit during a special ceremony in Ancient Olympiad, Greece, today. The ceremony kicks off the torch relay -- an essential component of any Olympic Games. The Olympic Flame is usually lit from the sun beating down into a mirror in a symbolic ceremony. The torch relay will go on a tour of Greece before being flown to Canada. In Canada, the relay will begin in Victoria on October 30, go around the country for 106 days, and will end when the last torchbearer will run into the BC Place Stadium during the Opening Ceremonies on February 12, 2010. Today's torch lighting ceremony was attended by dignitaries and tourists, among them Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and BC Premier Gordon Campbell. No protests disrupted the ceremony.

Thousands of Canadians applied to participate in the Olympic torch relay as torchbearers. The torch bearers will run a total of around 45,000 kilometers across Canada, visiting more than 1000 communities.

There are now 113 days left before the 2010 Olympic Games.

Check out the photos from today's ceremony on Vancouver 2010 Olympics Facebook page.

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Amy Judd

at 09:17 on October 22nd, 2009

So is the torch continually on the move now until the opening ceremonies?

Yuliya Talmazan

at 10:04 on October 22nd, 2009

Yes, it will be constantly moving across the country until the Opening Ceremonies.

sara star

at 14:55 on October 22nd, 2009

That is a lot of ground to cover.

Nov 18-20 in Nova Scotia.

What does it symbolize again?

B. Zelley

at 07:54 on October 30th, 2009

Regardless of what it symbolizes, an important part of the relay is the spirit of co-operation and participation by a cross section of Canadians from all levels of society, from small villages to the big cities, from elite athletes, has-been athletes and non-athletes, and many "just" regular folks doing their little bit to welcome the world in a spirit of friendship, goodwill and peace.