The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : It's Stockholm's turn

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 02, 2004

Sport

Sport - Olympic Games

It's Stockholm's turn

STOCKHOLM, JULY 1. Landing in a special jet painted in Olympic colours and dubbed the `Zeus,' the Olympic flame was greeted by a throng of spectators as it began its relay through the capital, the site of the 1912 Summer Games, on Thursday.

At the Arlanda international airport outside Stockholm, nearly a hundred people greeted the `Zeus' on the tarmac, the Swedish flag flying atop the cockpit. Stockholm City Sports Commissioner, Py Boerjesson, ferried the flame down the exit ramp where it was cradled by Swedish Olympic officials ahead of its 48-km relay.

``It's fantastic having the Olympic torch here with us,'' Boerjesson said. ``It symbolises sports and the Olympic ideal, with fellowship, cooperation, friendship and peace of course.''

The torch was flown in from Berlin, the site of the first modern torch relay more than six decades ago when it hosted the 1936 Games.

One of the 24 runners picked by the Swedish Olympic Committee, 1972 Olympic diving gold medallist Ulrika Knape, said she was proud to be one of the participants.

``It is a great honour to be able to do this, it's a special feeling,'' she said. ``To me, the Olympics are so big, so grandiose, because they unite the whole world.''

The torch relay will pass several key spots, including Stadion, the site of the 1912 Games and still used to host track and field events, soccer and concerts.

The torch will also wind its way past the Royal Palace, historic Gamla Stan (Old Town) and the Stockholm City Hall before reaching Kungstraedgaarden, where it will be used to light an Olympic pyre amid a tassel of Greek dancers and pop band E-Type.

Besides hosting the 1912 Games, Stockholm also hosted the equestrian events for the 1956 Olympics because Australia had a quarantine that prevented horses from travelling to the host city Melbourne.

This year, the torch started its journey on March 25 in the Games' ancient birthplace at Olympia (Greece). It will return to Greece on July 9, making its way to Athens for the opening ceremony in August.

Stockholm is the 28th city on the flame's 33-city tour. The torch arrives in Helsinki on July 2, the site of the 1952 Olympics.

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