ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — The flame that will burn during the London Games has been lit at the birthplace of the Ancient Olympics.
An actress dressed as a high priestess used a concave mirror to focus the sun’s rays and light a torch under bright sunny skies Thursday. There was no need for the backup flame that was used during the final rehearsal for the Olympic torch lighting a day earlier.
After the end of the choreographed ceremony, the priestess will hand over the torch to the first torchbearer, Greek swimmer and Olympic silver medalist Spyros Gianniotis. He is the first in a line of 490 torchbearers to carry the flame across 1,800 miles on Greek soil before the flame is handed to the London Games organizers on May 17.
The Olympics will be held from July 27-Aug. 12.
