Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony for Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay
Thursday, October 22 in Olympia, Greece

VANCOUVER , Oct. 18 /CNW/ - The time-honoured Lighting Ceremony for the Olympic Flame will take place in Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games in ancient Greece , on Thursday, October 22 to light the Olympic Flame for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

The first torchbearer for the Greek portion of the relay will depart from the historic grounds of Olympia's ancient stadium at the conclusion of the event for a relay through Greece that will conclude on October 29 at the Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony in Athens , Greece . These events are hosted by and require media accreditation arrangements through the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC).

The longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history will start in Victoria, BC, on October 30 with the arrival of the Olympic Flame on Canadian soil. The 106-day Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is presented by Coca-Cola and RBC, and supported by the Government of Canada .

More details on events for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay that take place after October 22 will be released in the coming days. Information on the relay, including background on the Lighting Ceremony, Greek portion of the relay and Handover Ceremony is available at www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay.

    
    Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony
    -------------------------------

    What:
    The time-honoured tradition of lighting the Olympic Flame in front of the
    Temple of Hera using the power of the sun in a parabolic mirror, and for
    the first time in Winter Olympic Games history, the cultural events
    related to the Lighting Ceremony will take place on the historic grounds
    of Olympia's Ancient Stadium.

    When:
    October 22, 2009
    12:00 pm EEST (Eastern European Summer Time)

    Following the ceremony, media in attendance are invited to join the
    Canadian delegation for a media availability at the Press Centre of the
    Olympic Academy.

    Where:
    Ancient Stadium and the historic Temple of Hera
    Olympia, Greece

    Who:
    Renata Wielgosz, Canada's ambassador to Greece
    Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport), Government of Canada
    Gordon Campbell, premier of British Columbia
    Gregor Robertson, mayor of Vancouver
    John Furlong, VANOC CEO

    Pool Video Footage: Broadcasters interested in accessing the pool of
    video footage should contact: Irini Karamani, ERT, at +302.210.607255 or
    +306.979.981172. The ceremony will be available to broadcasters through
    Eurovision and information is available at http://www.eurovision.net.

    Start of Greek portion of Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay
    ------------------------------------------------------------

    What:
    The relay starts on October 22 at the Ancient Stadium in Olympia, Greece
    and concludes at Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, Greece on October 29.
    Torchbearers selected by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) will wear
    the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torchbearer Uniform and carry the Vancouver
    2010 Olympic Torch during the relay.

    When:
    Start: October 22, 2009
    Immediately following the Lighting Ceremony
    Approximately 12:50 pm EEST (Eastern European Summer Time)

    Conclusion: October 29, 2009
    6:00 pm EEST (Eastern European Summer Time)

    Where:
    The Greek portion of the Olympic Torch Relay begins in Olympia and will
    travel through northern Greece and conclude in Athens, Greece at the
    historic Panathinaiko Stadium, passing through 37 communities and places
    of interest during the relay.

    A map of the Greek portion of the torch relay is available online at
    www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay.

    Delegates Participating:
    Konstantinos Kastigiannis, VANOC ambassador

    Photography: Daily photos and news releases will be available on the
    Hellenic Olympic Committee's (HOC) website at http://www2.hoc.gr/.
    

For further information: Media Contacts: VANOC contact in Greece, Chris Shauf, Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay Team, [phone], [email protected]; VANOC contact in Vancouver, Jenee Elborne, Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay Team, [phone], [email protected]; Tassos Pappachristou, Hellenic Olympic Committee, [email protected]