ATHENS, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) presented on Tuesday the Greek actress who will play the role of High Priestess in the Olympic flame ceremonies for Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Mary Mina is the 14th Greek artist assuming the role from 1936, when the first ceremony was held, to the present, according to HOC.

"It is a great honor... I am eager and I wish best success to all participants," she said during an event at HOC's premises in Athens.

On April 16 during the traditional lighting ceremony at Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games in western Greece, she will use a concave mirror to focus the sun's rays and light a torch.

Inside the ancient stadium where the Games were first held 25 centuries ago, she will then pass the flame that will be burning for the Paris Olympics to the first torchbearer.

It will be the start of the Greek leg of the torch relay which will end on April 26 inside the Panathenaic stadium in Athens, the venue of the first modern Olympics of 1896. Some 600 torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame across Greece through 43 cities, on seven islands and 12 archaeological sites, HOC officials said.

During the handover ceremony the High Priestess will again lead a group of priestesses and male youth in a choreography, sending best wishes to the organizers of the Games.

During the event HOC also presented the new music composer of the ceremonies, Dimitris Papadimitriou, and the new costumes created by Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou for the dancers and actors and actresses participating in the two ceremonies.

The pleated costumes for the priestesses have references to architectural elements of ancient Greek temples.

"They reflect better than ever the ancient spirit, our history and civilization," Yiannis Vroutsis, deputy minister of sports, said addressing the event. Enditem

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