Olympic fire for Vancouver 2010 is lit

Olympia (pps) On Thursday, October 22, 2009, the Olympic flame for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, was lit in the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece. 113 days before the opening ceremony on February 12, 2009 at BC Place in Vancouver, the flame was lit with a metal reflector during a traditional ritual lighting ceremony before the eyes of Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

For eight days, torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame through Greece. On October 30, the longest domestic Olympic Torch Relay ever will begin in the host country Canada. During 106 days, the flame will be carried by 12,000 torchbearers over 45,000 kilometers. „We want to offer every Canadian the opportunity to see the Olympic flame“, explained John Furlong, head of the Organizing Committee VANOC.