The Handover Ceremony for London Olympics

The journey of the Olympic Flame to London started after the Handover Ceremony of the Flame to the British delegation. The ceremony was held tonight at the Panathenaic Stadium, in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr Karolos Papoulias.

HRH the Princess Royal Princess Anne, received the Flame from the hands of the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Mr Spyros Capralos, with thousands of Greeks who defied the heavy rain and came to the Panathenaic Stadium to wish “farewell” to the symbol of Olympism after the completion of an eight-day Torch Relay in Greece.

The Olympic gold medalist Pyrros Dimas (weightlifting) and the Chinese Olympic Gold medalist Li Ning (gymnastics) were the last torchbearers who carried the flame into the Panathenaic Stadium, in a symbolic act of connecting the previous Olympic Games with the Games of London.

Pyrros Dimas and Li Ning had received the sacred light from the previous torchbearers, who were: the rowing world champion, Alexandra Tsiavou, the gymnastics world champion Vasilis Tsolakidis and the world rowing champion, Christina Giatzitzidou. The flame began its journey from the Acropolis, where it stayed overnight.

The ceremony attended the Minister of Culture of Greece Mrs Tatiana Karapanagioti, the Mayor of Athens Mr Giorgos Kaminis, the General Secretary of the State for Sports Mr Panagiotis Bitsaxis, the IOC member for Greece Mr Lambis Nikolaou, and the President of the International Olympic Academy Mr Isidoros Kouvelos. The British delegation, apart from HRH the Princess Royal Princess Anne, was composed of the President of the “LONDON 2012” Organizing Committee Lord Sebastian Coe, the Minister for Sports and the Olympic Games Mr Hugh Robertson, the Mayor of London Mr Boris Johnson, the football player David Beckham and her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic Mr David Landsman.

In his address, the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Spyros Kapralos, stated: For eight days, the Olympic Flame in its unique journey has been a source of emotion, excitement and inspiration; it proved that it remains the only timeless symbol which sparks off feelings of awe, pride and loyalty in the ideals and values of Olympism.

The Flame, which was born, on May 10, in Ancient Olympia, covered nearly 3.000 kms, and it traveled from western Greece and the city of Igoumenitsa, to the eastern part of the country, the border island of Kastelorizo. From the southern part of Greece and Crete, it went to the north, the cities of Drama, Alexandroupoli and Kipoi of the Evros river.

The images were unique and the experience unprecedented, not only for those who actually participated in the Torch Relay, but for the mere spectators as well.

Today, the time has come to handover the flame to our British friends!

Greece is handing over the flame to the United Kingdom with feelings of sincere appreciation and solidarity. Besides, the two countries, are tied by a traditional friendship; the sacred Light is yet another opportunity for us to remember the bonds that unite us.

I am sure that you will welcome the Flame with the honour and respect it deserves, as it is for us, an integral part of Greece.”

During the Ceremony, the President of the "London 2012" Organizing Committee Lord Sebastian Coe stressed: “On behalf of the people of the United Kingdom, I would like to express my gratitude to the people of Greece, and to Spyros Capralos and the Hellenic Olympic Committee. Thank you for the warm hospitality and welcome that you and your country have extended to us, to our Torch and to everyone who has been involved in the London 2012 Torch Relay since we lit the flame a week ago in Olympia.

For the past 8 days our two countries have connected in a very special way, in the spirit of peace and friendship of the Flame and the values of this great Olympic Movement. Today’s Handover is an occasion of international significance and importance. Like the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Flame belongs to the world, and the arrival of the Flame in the host nation is a clarion call to the athletes and young people in more than 200 nations and territories preparing to gather for the London 2012 Games. Millions of people across the UK are getting ready to do the best work of their lives to welcome you all.”

The Olympic Flame will be transferred on Friday to the United Kingdom by five young children and the world famous football player David Beckham with a special flight. At the ceremony in the Panathenaic Stadium, the Priestesses presented a choreography of Artemis Ignatius while immediately after the ritual of the sacred light a musical event followed with the participation of drummers and children wishing in a very special way good luck to the Hellenic Olympic team that will participate in the Games of London, with the slogan "Greece, you can do it."

The Handover Ceremony for London Olympics