In light of the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Rio, the celebrations have already started. The 2016 Olympic Torch Relay will bring the flame from Athens to Rio along with the Olympic message of peace, unity and friendship between all the peoples of the world. The flame was lit in Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games on April 21, 2016. The Greek gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias, world champion on the rings, was the first athlete to hold the torch, which passed to on to Giovane Gávio, Brazil’s double Olympic volleyball champion.
The Olympic flame will spend seven days in Greece. It will travel from Olympia, throughout the Greek mainland to Thessaloniki and the northern boarders of Greece and it will also reach numerous islands, including Corfu, Zante and Lefkada. On April 26 the flame will return to Athens, where torchbearers will carry it to the Acropolis and the new Acropolis museum. The final destination that the Olympic Flame will touch in Greece is the Panathenaic Stadium. A location of high importance for the history of the Olympic Games. This is where the first modern Olympic games were held exactly 120 years ago.
The Rio 2016 Olympic torch relay continues with a tour of the sacred flame in Brazil. It commences from Brasília, the country’s capital on May 3. In total, 12.0000 torchbearers are expected to participate, each one carrying the flame for approximately 200 meters. The Rio 2016 organizers have prepared a beautiful video depicting the journey of the Olympic flame.
The Rio 2016 Olympic torch has a district and innovative design. Its open colorful segments symbolize different elements of the Brazilian flair; the contagious energy, the harmonious diversity and the exuberant nature of the country along with the ground, sea, mountains, sky and sun represented in the colors of the Brazilian flag.
The Olympic Torch relay will conclude on August 5 at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio. The last torchbearer will light the Olympic cauldron at what is considered as the highlight of the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. We all look forward to this moment!