PyeongChang Winter Olympics Flame Lighting rehearsal ceremony held at Games birthplace
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E-mail Xinhua, October 24, 2017
by Maria Spiliopoulou
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The dress rehearsal of the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame, which will be burning for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, was successfully held on Monday at ancient Olympia in western Greece, the birthplace of the Games.
On a mostly cloudy noon, shortly before a strong rainfall, using the rays of the sun, Greek actress Katerina Lehou playing the role of an ancient High Priestess managed to lit the torch out of a parabolic mirror in front of the ruins of the 2,500-year-old temple dedicated to Hera, a goddess of ancient Greek mythology.
Accompanied by three dozens of young female and male dancers playing the roles of priestesses, goddesses and male youths, Lehou prayed to the Gods to bring peace to the world and help the South Korean city host successful Games.
"Apollo, God of sun and the idea of the Light, send your rays and light the sacred torch for the hospitable city of PyeongChang, and you Zeus, give peace to all peoples on earth and wreath the winners of the Sacred Race," she said.
Following a dance performance inspired by ancient Greek mythology inside the ancient stadium which hosted the first Olympics in antiquity, the High Priestess handed over to the first torchbearer the torch with the flame and an olive branch.
Greek cross country skier and biathlon athlete Apostolos Angelis, who was chosen as the first torchbearer, started the rehearsal relay on Monday, after a dancer released a pigeon to spread the Olympic ideals of friendship and peace to the world.
The official lighting ceremony will be held on Tuesday October 24 launching a torch relay across Greece before the Greek organizers pass the flame to the South Korean delegation in a handover ceremony at the Panathinaic Stadium in Athens on October 31.
During a meeting on Monday, the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) unanimously decided that the ceremony will be held at the ancient stadium as usually despite bad weather forecast, according to a HOC press release.
Artemis Ignatiou, the choreographer of the lighting and handover ceremonies, said all involved in the ceremony are determined to give their best performance braving the rain and the cold.
"The entire team responded with a resounding Yes. We will fully support our work, because we want to convey to the world the message of unity. (We want to show) that we can achieve the maximum even under difficult conditions," she said.
The 40-member strong team Ignatiou leads which includes actors, dancers, musicians and support staff have worked hard over the past six months on the choreography which is inspired by Nymphs, female nature deities in ancient Greek mythology, as she explained.
Confident that the start of the Flame's journey in ancient Olympia will be flawless, the Greek choreographer hopes that she will be able to be in South Korea this winter for the opening of equally flawless games.
The second leg of the relay will end on February at the main venue which will host the PyeongChang Games. Enditem
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