Athens news on the 18th, on the eve of the 100-day countdown to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the flames of the Current Winter Olympics were successfully collected today at the ancient Olympia site in the Peloponnese Peninsula of Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Greek President Katrina Sacraloplu, IOC President Thomas Bach, Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spiralos and Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee Special Representative, Vice President of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee Yu Zaiqing attended the gathering ceremony on the same day.
The scene of the collection ceremony
The fire-mining ceremony began at 11:30 a.m., and the Olympic five-ring flag was slowly raised as the Olympic anthem sounded over the ruins of the ancient Olympiahal Temple. Subsequently, the Chinese national anthem and the Greek national anthem were played on the spot, and the national flags of the two countries were raised respectively.
Tinder gathering is an iconic event in the Olympic Movement. At the ancient Olympic Games, people lit fires in honor of Prometheus, who stole fire for mankind in ancient Greek mythology. In the history of the modern Olympic Games, tinder was first introduced in 1928, and tindering began at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Vice Chairman Yu Zaiqing delivered a speech at the ceremony, and on behalf of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, he expressed his greetings and thanks to President Sacrapro, Chairman Bach, Chairman Capralos and the guests attending the ceremony.
Yu Zaiqing, vice chairman of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, delivered a speech
Yu Zaiqing said that the Olympic torch is a noble symbol of the Olympic spirit. For thousands of years, the sacred flame has transmitted the light of light, unity, friendship, peace and justice to the whole world, witnessed the glorious history of the development and progress of human civilization, exchanges and mutual learning, interpreted the firm pursuit of human beings to challenge the limits and surpass themselves, and illuminated the way forward for mankind to unite and cooperate and overcome difficulties. When the new crown pneumonia epidemic hit, the Olympic flame once again brought people confidence, warmth and hope, and gathered the majestic strength to jointly defeat the epidemic.
Yu Zaiqing said: "Today, the Olympic flame is about to be lit again, riding on the torch of the Beijing Winter Olympics, connecting the ancient Greek civilization and Chinese civilization, and rekindling the passion and dream of the Olympic Movement in the hearts of 1.4 billion Chinese people!" ”
In his speech, IOC President Bach said that since ancient times, the Olympic Movement has undertaken a mission of peace and demanded that we respect the political neutrality of the Olympic Games. Only by ensuring political neutrality can the Olympic Games transcend all the political divisions of our time and build bridges and friendships between countries and regions.
IOC President Thomas Bach delivered a speech
"Beijing will write history as the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics," Bach said. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will connect Chinese people with the world, realize the vision of 300 million people participating in ice and snow sports, and change the history of winter sports forever. As China welcomes its best winter athletes, the world will see China's passion. ”
At about 12 noon, in front of the 2,500-year-old ruins of the Temple of Hera, the famous Greek actress Sansi Giorgio, who played the highest priestess, prayed to Apollo, the god of light, and lit the fire with a concave mirror. Georgeu has a lot of ties to Beijing, and her first time as a priestess participated in a tinder-gathering ceremony was at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. At the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, she served for the first time as the supreme priestess of the tinder gathering ceremony. And once again took on this role during the tinder-gathering ceremony at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Greek actress Sansi Giorgiou, who plays the highest priestess, lights the fire
The live choreographer Artemis Ignatius also has an indissoluble relationship with China, and since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, she has been the artistic director of the tinder gathering ceremonies of the summer and winter Olympic games.
After a dance performance, the High Priestess passes the torch and the olive branch symbolizing peace and glory to the first torchbearer, the Greek alpine skier Ioannis Antoniou, who "flew" the torch of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Antoneu, 26, won two bronze medals in the men's slalom and the giant slalom at the 2012 World Youth Championships, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, he served as the first torchbearer at the tinder-gathering ceremony.
Greek alpine skier Giannis Antonio (left)
Antoniwu is wearing the Beijing Winter Olympic Torchbearer uniform, which was first unveiled in public, and the design elements of this uniform include the Olympic five-ring logo, the torch relay logo, and the core graphic of the torch relay landscape. The full uniform includes clothing, knitted hats, headbands, gloves and sneakers. Color selection, the main color is taken from the red and yellow colors of the flame, and highlights the color of Chinese red on the main tone of white, and is lined with yellow, reflecting the characteristics of the torch relay of passion, enthusiasm and celebration, and the red line from the cuff, the side to the sole of the foot is docked with the torch into a complete line, forming a sense of movement, fully demonstrating the torchbearer's high posture of chasing forward.
Armed with a "flying" torch, Antoni Wu ran all the way to the monument of Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics, and passed the torch to the second torchbearer, Li Jiajun, a former Chinese short track speed skater. At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Li Jiajun won the silver medal in the 1,000 meters, becoming the first male athlete in China to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.
Former Chinese short track speed skater Li Jiajun (left) and Greek alpine skier Janis Antoneu
"The Winter Olympics are held in Beijing, and as an iceman, I think it is a sacred thing to be able to come to Greece and become a torchbearer," Li Jiajun said.
All activities on the day were carried out under strict epidemic prevention and control measures. On the 19th, the Hellenic Olympic Committee will pass the torch to the delegation of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee after a three-stick torch relay at the Marble Stadium in Athens (Panahineco Stadium).
Capralos, president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, said at the gathering ceremony that although the number of people who arrived at the scene was limited, the scene of the fire ignition will once again bring hope to the world.
"I believe the Beijing Winter Olympics will be a triumph of human will and effort," Capralos said. "When the world's best athletes strive to achieve great results in the Winter Olympics, Beijing will once again write a glorious page in the history of the Olympic Games."
Source Beijing Daily client reporter Wu Dong Zhuoran
Source: Official website of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics official micro
Producer: Tong Shuquan
Intern Editor: Qian Xuanpan
Process Editor Wu Yue