The flame for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics was lit Sunday at Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Games in a special ceremony.
The event concluded with the start of the torch relay, which is scheduled to reach Sochi, the Russian city, Feb 7 for the opening ceremony of the XXII Winter Olympic Games. The games will last till Feb 23, Xinhua reported.
Under clear skies using the sun's rays and a parabolic mirror Greek actress Ino Menegaki performing the role of an ancient High Priestess lit the Flame at 12.44 pm local time among the ruins of the 2,500-year-old Temple of ancient Greek mythology goddess Hera.
"Apollo, King of the sun, and the Idea of light, send your rays and light the sacred torch for the hospitable city of Sochi," she "prayed" to the God of Sun in Greek mythology.
At the closing of the ceremony inside the ancient Stadium, where the first Olympic Games were held, she handed over the torch to the first torch bearer, Greek alpine skier Yannis Antoniou, under a warm applause.
The torch relay kicked off as he then passed the sacred flame to ice hockey athlete Alexander Ovechkin, the first Russian who carried the torch during its trip to Sochi for the Games.
The Greek leg of the relay covering 2,000 km will end Oct 5 with a hand-over ceremony at the Panathenaic stadium in Athens, the venue of the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896.
During the Russian leg of the Relay the Olympic Flame will cover 65,000 km. The torch will be carried by some 14,000 torchbearers, will reach as far as outer space in a historic first, travelling up to the International Space Station.
The Flame which symbolises the Olympic values travels with the best wishes of Greeks and other members of the Olympic Movement for best success for the Sochi Games.
"We wish that the Olympic Light will inspire leaders and citizens of the world to cooperate for world peace," Mayor of Ancient Olympia Efthymios Kotzias said, addressing Sunday's event, was attended by Greek and foreign dignitaries.
