II - A Legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games

MATT TURNER/ALLSPORT
THE OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY
The torch relay has become the modern Olympic Movement's
call to bring together the world's athletes to celebrate their
Games. At the same time, the Torch has links to past and
future Olympic Games. Passing the flame from one person to
another is a symbolic continuation of an ancient tradition of
handing down fire from generation to generation.
In 2000, as the Olympic flame travelled first through
Greece, then through Oceania and finally around Australia,
athletes across the world were beginning to make their
way to Sydney for training and to celebrate the Games of the
XXVII Olympiad.
Sydney's Olympic torch reflected the values which the
organisers regarded as key elements of the Sydney 2000
Games – the egalitarian spirit of Australia, the commitment
to Olympism and the motivation of innovation. This Olympic
torch drew its inspiration from the Sydney Opera House,
the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and the subtle curve of
the boomerang. Its three-layered design represented the
elements of earth, fire and water. The fuel system showcased
benchmark environmentally friendly technologies.
Greece
The Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch Relay commenced, as
had all relays since their inception in 1936, with a flame-
lighting ceremony in a small sacred grove located outside the
remains of the Temple of Hera in Olympia, site of the ancient
Olympic Games.
Twenty thousand spectators came to see the torch relay
begin, packed into Olympia's ancient stadium. An invited
group moved from the stadium to stand near the ruins
of the Temple of Hera to view the closed lighting ceremony,
conducted by 25 priestesses, dressed in full-length tunics,
all actors. The high priestess was portrayed by 28-year-old
Athens University drama graduate, Thalia Prokopiou.
She began by calling to the god Apollo with an ancient
Greek prayer, "Apollo, god of the sun and enlightenment,
send your rays and light the sacred torch for the friendly
city of Sydney."
Then she held a silver torch, with a dry olive branch protruding,
to touch a parabolic mirror positioned to concentrate the sun's
rays. Sadly, because of a light cloud cover that day, the torch
did not ignite and a backup flame that had been lit the day
before in full rehearsal was used. A trumpet sounded to signal
the lighting, echoed by another back in the ancient stadium.
The flame was transferred to an urn and the priestesses
accompanied it to the stadium where the crowd waited in
excited anticipation. Bringing up the rear of the procession
was the high priestess carrying the urn of fire, and another
priestess carrying an olive branch. The ritualistic ceremony,
linking the ancient and the modern Games, continued as
the moment the public had waited for approached. The
high priestess moved towards a small altar, where the first
torchbearer, Greek men's high jump champion Labros
Papakostas, waited. She called again to the gods, "Apollo, god
of the sun and enlightenment, send your rays and light
the sacred torch for the friendly city of Sydney. And you,
Zeus, grant peace to all peoples of the world and crown the
victorious in these sacred Games." From the flame in the urn
the high priestess lit another silver torch, then joined it to one
held by Papakostas with the words, "Go forth, oh victorious
one. Go forth."
Papakostas turned to the cheering crowd, holding the torch
high in his right hand and an olive branch in his left,
before setting off to run the length of the ancient stadium.
He ran 700 m of his originally scheduled 1 km run, as the
last 300 m had been allocated by the Hellenic NOC to
IOC Vice-President Kevan Gosper's daughter Sophie. She
thus became the first Australian torchbearer for these
Games. Her choice created controversy back in Australia,
where it became front-page news. In the wake of a
tempestuous year for the IOC it was perceived to be a favour
given to an IOC member's family.
In every Greek town and village that the torch relay passed
through on its ten days in the country, the streets were lined
with people. The attraction and mystique of the Olympic
flame has never been lost on the many who come to see
the torch relay every two years on its way to the Olympic
Winter and Summer Games. In some villages they threw
JOURNEY OF THE FLAME
The Olympic
Torch Relay
Volume Two
Chapter Two
1. After its arrival in Uluru,
the torch was passed
through the hands of
eleven elders the traditional
owners of the land, before
commencing its 100-day
journey around Australia
2. Lambros Papakostas
kneels in front of the chief
priestess in Olympia. After
a special lighting ceremony
at the sacred site, the
Greek athlete was the first
runner to carry the flame
toward Sydney
2. Journey of the Flame 25
2
MIKE HEWITT/ALLSPORT