According to ancient myths, the titan Prometheus, not being afraid of the anger of the gods, stole fire from them and brought it as a gift to people to make their life easier. Grateful people have not forgotten this. During the Olympic Games, a fire was lit in a special bowl, symbolizing the feat of Prometheus. And in our time, fire is one of the main symbols of the Olympic Games. It is lit on the territory of ancient Olympia and, with the help of special torches, is delivered to the venue of the competition. Participation in the Olympic Torch Relay is considered a great honor. Who will be among the participants before the opening of the games in Sochi?
The Olympic flame has begun its journey
On September 29, according to tradition, a fire was lit from the sun's rays on the territory of the temple of Hera in ancient Olympia. The honor of becoming the first participant in the relay fell to a young Greek athlete - 18-year-old Yannis Antoniou. And the famous Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, a forward of the Washington Capitals club, took the torch from him. For this, the famous athlete specially flew to Greece from the USA for one day, immediately after the match with the Philadelphia Flyers team. Alexander said that it was a great honor for him.
Long way to Sochi
Before it flares up in the bowl of the Olympic Stadium in Sochi, the fire has to cover more than 60 thousand kilometers - one and a half the length of the equator! The relay will last 123 days. And the total number of its participants will exceed 14 thousand. The torch is designed in such a way that the fire does not go out even in adverse weather conditions.
On the way to the venue of the Games, the Olympic Flame will visit many regions of Russia. Among the participants of the relay there will be people of different professions and ages, from very young to whitened with gray hair. For example, trainer-teacher Yuri Chentsov, who is 80 years old, will become the oldest fire carrier. He will take part in the relay when the Olympic flame arrives on the territory of the Altai Republic.
Many famous and famous people will also carry the torch with the Olympic flame. Among them are the world's first female cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union - Valentina Tereshkova, as well as gymnast Alexei Nemov, four-time Olympic champion.
The name of the last participant in the relay, who will light the fire in the bowl of the Olympic stadium, is still kept secret. It is only known that at the final stages of the relay, already in front of the stadium, one of the famous Buranovskiye Babushkas will take part in it.
