Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

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12. Torch Relay
12.3
Lighting of Flame and
International Relay
12.3.1
Lighting of Flame
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Flame lighting ceremony
The flame to burn during the 24th
Seoul Olympic Games for 16 days was
lit at the Temple of Hera in the ancient
Greek city of Olympia at 11 a.m. on
August 23, with about 30,000 people
present. Members of the Hellenic
Olympic Committee, a delegation of
the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee,
torch relay runners and Korean
residents were among those who
attended the hour-long ceremony.
The rite opened with a ritual declaration
of opening, followed by the Korean
and Greek national anthems, and
delivery of a speech by Kim Ock-jin,
SLOOC Secretary-general.
To the sound of drum-beating, high
priestess Katerina Didaskalou, clad in
lily-white ancient Greek costume,
emerged from behind an altar, surrounded
by 16 other priestesses, and
prayed for the flame.
"The Light of Olympia," a poem, was
recited and the flame was taken from
its ignition in a concave mirror to a
torch and then to a flame holder. High
priestess Didaskalou, surrounded by
priestesses, carried the holder to an
ancient stadium, prayed to the Greek
gods Zeus and Apollo, and lit a torch
from the flame. The torch to illuminate
the Seoul Olympic Games was thus
ready to begin its journey to Seoul.
After the long, solemn rite, the torch
was passed to the first runner; Thanassis
Kaloyannia, who was to compete in
the 400m hurdle in Seoul. Kaloyannia
began the torch relay carrying the
flame and an olive branch.
Remarks at the Olympic torchlighting
ceremony
Ministers, President Nicolaou of
Helliniki Olympiaki Epitropi, Madame
Prefect of Illiyas, distinguished guests,
ladies and gentlemen,
It is an immense honor for me to be
here with you in Greece, the magnificent
home of the Ancient Olympics
and site of the first Modern Olympic
Games.
Today, the sacred flame of the Olympic
Games will once again burst forth and
send a glow of hope around the world;
and we will proudly carry that flame to
Seoul and the Games of the 24th
Olympiad.
I have been truly overwhelmed by the
efforts you have made to prepare for
this wonderful ceremony which symbolizes
mankind's dream of international
friendship. If ever there was an occasion
which literally lights up all our
lives, then this is it!
Let me thank you in the name of all
Koreans who dream of international
harmony and progress through the
successful Seoul Olympics and who
have been looking towards today to
provide a glorious momentum to this
dream.
In a few moments, a flame will be
sparked from the hearth of Hera. This
flame, I believe, will have ignited the
passions of people around the world
by the time it reaches the Olympic
Stadium in Seoul on September 17.
For Koreans, this flame is especially
meaningful for we have a long tradition
of reverence for fire and what it
represents. Fire symbolizes purity and
prosperity — and the Olympic Games
are pure in their ideals and clear in
their aims of building a better world for
all people.
Believe me, the Korean people are
waiting with excitement and perhaps a
little impatience for the arrival of the
sacred flame. It has been a seven-year
wait since we were first awarded the
Games — but when the flame is lit,
shortly we will know it has all been
worthwhile.
For the Family of Nations, the ignition
of the Flame will be the spark for a
beautiful festival of sports and culture
under the banner of Olympism. And
when the Flame is finally extinguished
at the end of the Seoul Games on
October 2, the warmth it has brought
to all of us will linger, especially in the
hearts of the young people who are
the leaders of tomorrow. Through this
Flame we can all look forward to a
brighter, better future!
For the first time since the 1972
Munich Olympics, the Olympic Family
will come together for a Games where
there are no barriers of race, religion
or ideology; where the Olympic ideals
assert their strength and superiority;
where the obstacles to peace and
friendship are crushed under the feet
of each and every man or woman who
carries that Sacred Flame.
In Seoul, athletes from 161 nations will
gather at the Opening Ceremony of
the Olympic Games and look up as
the cauldron is lit — and in that roaring
fire they will picture a world where
all of mankind will stand hand-in-hand
for all time.
Beloved Citizens of Olympia!
I beseech your prayers for the success
of the Seoul Olympics — for Seoul's
success will be mankind's success,
You have done the world proud once
more here today and our repayment to
you is our pledge to host the biggest
and best-ever Modern Olympic Games,
and take my word for it, thousands of
miles away, the Korean people are
doing you proud! You also have our
pledge that we will respect all that this
Sacred Flame stands for.
Once again my deepest thanks to all of
you for your inspiring support for all we
are attempting to do in Seoul. Today
we are lighting together a flame whose
warmth will be felt for many years to
come.
EFCHARISTO PARA POLI (Thank
you).
Kim Ock-jin
Vice-president & Secretary-general
Seoul Olympic Organizing Commitee
(Olympia, 11 a.m., August 23,1988)
Torch relay in Greece
The first runner carrying the torch aloft
with his right hand started the first run
at 12:00, August 23, 1988, commencing
the torch relay in Greece which
was to cover 352km overland and
22km by sea.
The first runner carried the flame to a
memorial to Baron Pierre de Coubertin,
the French founder of the modern
Olympics, 500 meters from the ancient
stadium. The runner held the torch up
in deference to the founder of the
modern Olympics, and ran one kilometer
to the entrance of the sanctuary of
Olympia, and relayed the torch to the
next runner. Passing through beautiful
woodland, low hillocks and idyllic
Greek villages, the torch arrived at the
Mediterranean port city of Pirgos at
1:55 p.m. A crowd of about 500
enthusiastically welcomed the arrival
of the torch at Pirgos, where 65 members
of the Seoul City Dance Company
performed traditional Korean
dance at an open-air stage, and sixmember
Samulnori performed traditional
Korean music to great applause.
Passing by Amaliada, Ilida and
Gastouni to warm welcomes, the torch
arrived at Patra at 10:55 p.m. on
August 23. Leaving there at
11:15 p.m., the flame reached Egio at
1:55 a.m., for its first overnight stop.
On August 24, the torch, passing
through Xilokastro, kiato crossed
Korinthos canal, and arrived at
Elefsina port at 2:30 p.m.
From there, the seaborne journey
began aboard the Olympia, a replica
of an ancient Greek oar warship. At the
specially installed stage in Elefsina
port, Greek traditional dance was
performed along with the Korean
Samulnori percussion ensemble,
heightening the festive mood.
As soon as the torch was aboard the
Olympia, some 10,000 citizens
shouted "Olympics," and "Inara
(peace)," while young girls of Elefsina
recited a poem praying for the success
of the Olympics and safe arrival of the
torch.
The Olympia cruised a 22km sea route
before the overland torch relay recommenced.
At
8:30 p.m. on August 25, the torch
reached Athens, the last relay point
inside Greece. To an enthusiastic
welcome, the torch came to rest at the
Panathenian Temple on the Acropolis.
Congratulatory events and public
relations
At the time the flame was ignited and
during the torch relay in Greece, the
SLOOC sponsored various celebratory
events including performances by arts
groups, a reception, and a public relations
exhibition for the Seoul Olympic
Games.
The arts group consisted of the 65member
Seoul City Dance Company,
and the six-member Samulnori performing
troupe. The Seoul City Dance
Company staged a performance
"Light of the Orient, the Koreans," at
an open-air stage on August 23 and
24. The same performance was
staged at the Panathenian Stadium.