Chinese Runner In Historic Olympic Relay

Beijing, CHINA (AHN) - A Chinese runner will make Olympic history in the second leg of the torch relay this year in ancient Olympia, Greece. It is the first time in the history of the event that the Games' host will participate in the run. This was revealed by the city's mayor, George Aidonis on Friday in Beijing.

Aidonis, who is visiting Beijing this week, said thru an interpreter, that there would be a few changes in the torch relay in Olympia this year because a Chinese person will run the second leg, carrying the torch from the gate of the ruins to the municipal government hall.

The lighting ceremony will commence with the "High Priestess," played by Greek actress Maria Nafpliotou. The torch will be handed to the first runner, a Greek athlete, who will then carry it to the temple gateway and pass it over to the Chinese runner.

Aidonis said that this is the first time that a torchbearer from the Games' host country will take the flame from a Greek athlete and run the second leg.

He added that the Chinese embassy in Greece and the Beijing Olympic organizing committee will make the decision as to who will be the designated Chinese runner.

Recovering from a massive forest fire that ripped through Peloponnesus area in Greece last year is ongoing and has created problems for the ceremony. And as a response, the central and municipal government launched an emergency tree-planting scheme around the city to restore its beauty especially for the torch-lighting ceremony.

The Olympic flame will be lit in front of the ruins of the Hera on March 24, at 12 noon.

The mayor, who has participated in every torch-lighting ceremony since 1978, said that he expects something special this year.

The Olympic flame will be handed over the organizing committee of the Beijing Games on March 30 at 3 p.m. at the Panathenaiko Stadium in Athens. It is the city where the first Modern Olympics Games were held in 1896. After which a reception ceremony will be held in Beijing on March 31, and on April 1, the flame will begin its global tour.

In ancient Athens, Greeks held a "lampadedromia" (the Greek word for Torch Relay) as a religious ritual held at night. Later it turned into a team athletic event, initially among adolescents, and developed further to become one of the most popular ancient sports. Preserving the strength and purity of the sacred Flame was important for the ritual; hence, transportation by the quickest means is used, in this case a relay of Torchbearers. The Torch Relay Flame is carried in the Torch Relay from the altar of Prometheus to the altar of goddess Athena on the Acropolis.