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Olympic flame will shine in region
From left, Carys Hall, from Sheffield, a nominee for the relay; Hanah Cockcroft, a world champion wheelchair racer from Halifax; and No 1 British table tennis player Paul Drinkhall at Sheffield Peace Gardens for the launch of the Yorkshire relay route for the Olympic torch. Picture: Chris Lawton.
THE Olympic torch will “shine a light” across Yorkshire when it is carried through the region in the build-up to the 2012 Games in London, organisers said yesterday.
The flame, the enduring symbol of the Olympic Games, will be carried through Hull, York, Leeds, Sheffield, and Cleethorpes in North East Lincolnshire on an 8,000-mile, 70-day relay around the UK before arriving in the capital for the opening ceremony on July 27, 2012.
The flame – which represents peace, unity and friendship – will be lit in Olympia, Greece, in a traditional ceremony and taken on a short relay in the country before arriving in Britain on May 18, 2012, when the journey will begin at Land’s End.
Organisers also announced details of how members of the public could apply to be one of 8,000 torchbearers who will share the task of carrying the flame.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said: “The Olympic Flame will shine a light right across every nation and region of the UK and showcase the very best of who we are and where we live.
“The first locations on the route confirmed today give a flavour of the reach the Olympic Torch Relay will have around the UK and how extensive the opportunity for starting to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games will be.”
Civic leaders in the region’s chosen destinations have spoken of their delight at the prospect.
Adam Ogilvie, Leeds Council’s executive member for the city, said: “This is wonderful news for the city and is sure to go down in the history books for future generations to read about – the day the Olympic Flame came to Leeds.
“The flame is one of the most iconic symbols in the world, not just in sport, inspiring people to achieve and try their best to realise their potential.”
Terry Geraghty, portfolio holder for sport at Hull Council, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Hull to get into the Olympic spirit and be part of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. It gives local people the chance to do an extraordinary thing and people can now nominate who they think should be torch bearers for Hull.
“Those who watch and take part in the celebration will remember it for the rest of their lives.”
Sheffield Council leader Julie Dore called the announcement “very exciting”, while York Council chief executive Kersten England described it as a “great honour” for the city.
The relay aims to go within an hour’s travel time of 95 per cent of the population – and there are also plans to take the Olympic Flame to Dublin.
But there will be no international torch relay – the International Olympic Committee decided to make it a domestic event only after the controversial Beijing torch relay in 2008, where protesters used the event to demonstrate against China’s human rights abuses.
On most days of the relay, the Olympic Flame will travel for 12 hours each day ending in an evening celebration event.
The torch and relay were important elements of the cultural festivals surrounding the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. During the Games, a sacred flame burned continually on the altar of the goddess Hera, and heralds were summoned to travel throughout Greece to announce the Games.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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