LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — An 18-year-old Greek skier will be the first athlete to run with the Olympic flame in the torch relay for the Sochi Winter Games.
Ioannis Antoniou was selected Friday as the first torchbearer for the relay, which will start after the flame has been lit at a special ceremony in Ancient Olympia on Sept. 29.
Antoniou, who hopes to compete in Sochi, has been a member of the Greek national ski team since 2011.
The flame reaches Russia on Oct. 7. The torch will travel about 40,000 miles around the country, the longest relay in Winter Games history.
The relay will end with the opening ceremony in Sochi on Feb. 7. The Olympics will run through Feb. 23.
