OLYMPIA, Greece: The venues for the original Olympic city are in lousy shape, but there is a reason.
Blame Theodosius II, the anti-sports emperor who ordered the gymnasium, wrestling school, stadium and various temples destroyed in 426 AD. None were white elephants. They were very well-used for the ancient, male-only sports festival every four years from 776 BC to 394 AD.
Today the United Nations-protected site by the Kladeos River is among Europe’s top vacation destinations. The five-hour bus ride on a long and winding road from Athens deposits visitors amid the quaint hillside town where tourism is the local economy’s focus.
On Thursday, old meets new again when the modern Olympic movement returns to witness the ceremonial lighting of the flame for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at ancient Olympia’s ruins of the Temple of Hera.
Priestesses will use a parabolic mirror under the noon-hour sun to light the flame at the altar, an unassuming pair of L-shaped stones on a roped-off, rectangular patch of grass. First they’ll rehearse Wednesday.
The relay will begin at the stadium, where the start and finish lines remain. Greek slalom skier Vassilis Dimitriadis was chosen the first runner by the Hellenic Olympic Committee. He’ll carry the Bombardier-made torch and wear the HBC track suit to begin a Greek-wide relay. It could be too hot for him to wear the VANOC red mittens.
When the relay reaches Athens on Oct. 29, Toronto student Niki Georgiadou will pass the torch to Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean in Panathenian Stadium. The flame will be encased in a miner’s lamp for the flight to Victoria.
