Olympic torch to be lit in Greece

Greek actress Ino Menegaki (L), playing the role of High Priestess, lights the torch held by Spyridon Gianniotis, Greece's world champion of swimming, during a dress rehearsal for the torch lighting ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in Greece May 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Actresses, playing the role of priestesses, take part in a dress rehearsal for the torch lighting ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in Greece May 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

ATHENS - The flame for the London 2012 Olympic Games will be lit on Thursday with every solemnity in the traditional way.

According to a press release of the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), the ceremony will be attended by the President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge, the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Spyros Capralos, the President of the Organizing Committee of Olympic Games London 2012 Sebastian Coe, members of the International Olympic Committee, Greek and British officials, members of the Plenary Session of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and representatives of sports federations.

The High Priestess Ino Menegaki will light the Olympic Flame directly from the sun rays and then, after the ritual prepared by the Choreographer Artemis Ignatiou, the sacred flame will be handed over to the first torchbearer, world swimming champion Spyros Gianniotis.

An eight-day torch relay around Greece will follow, ending on May 17 with the arrival of the flame at the Panathenaic stadium in Athens.

It will be handed over to the delegation of the United Kingdom to continue its journey for the Olympic city of London. The last torchbearers in Greece will be the Olympic champions Pyrros Dimas and Li Ning.

Overall the torch relay will cover 2,900 km in Greece, in the hands of 490 torchbearers. It will cross 26 provinces, 38 municipalities and 40 cities, visiting five archaeological sites, while 34 altar lighting ceremonies will be held in specific cities along the way.