The last part of the Greek leg (all in all 3000km, an 8-day relay) of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, the Olympic Flame was handed over to the London 2012 delegation. The delegation was headed by the President of the British Olympic Association and LOCOG Board Member, Princess Anne, in a ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium.
Thousands of people watched as the Olympic Flame was handed over to Her Royal Highness. Fellow attendees of the ceremony were the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Karolos Papoulias, the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Mr Spyros Capralos and Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), Sebastian Coe, David Beckham and five young British representatives.
Local children sang the Olympic anthem, a choreographed dance was performed, and the five young UK representatives each being handed an olive branch by young people from Greece were amongst the highlights of this trip to Greece.
Spyros Capralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, said: The Handover of the Olympic Flame is a key milestone for each Olympic Games as the Torch Relay rallies the worlds athletes to make their final preparations. After a fantastic eight day Torch Relay around Greece we wish London and the whole of the UK well for a successful 70 day Torch Relay and Olympic Games.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: Like the Olympic Games, the Flame belongs to the world, and the arrival of the Flame in the host nation is a clarion call to the athletes and young people in more than 200 nations and territories preparing to gather for the London 2012 Games.
Receiving the Olympic Flame is a great honour. Its arrival signals the beginning of a fantastic summer for London when the world will focus on this great city to celebrate the greatest sporting extravaganza on the planet, Boris Johnson said, Mayor of London.
The Olympic Flame will be leaving Athens on Friday 18 May to arrive into the UK at RNAS Culdrose, near Helston, Cornwall.
The Olympic Flame will travel 8,000 miles across the United Kingdom reaching within 10 miles of 95% of the population. 8,000 Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame for approximately 300m each, passing the Olympic Flame from torch to torch until it reaches the Olympic Stadium on the eve of 27 July.
