26 May 2004
FACTS AT A GLANCE

The 2004 Olympic Torch Relay began on 25 March after the Olympic flame was lit by the rays of the sun in a traditional ceremony held in ancient Olympia, Greece, site of the first Olympic Games in 776 BC. 
 
After departing ancient Olympia, it traveled for 7 days through the Peloponnese, the islands of the Saronic Gulf, and finally to the Panathinaiko stadium in Athens, the stadium which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.  There the flame will remain lit in a cauldron until the international portion of its journey begins on 3 July.
 
When the international portion is complete, on 9 July, the flame will return again to Greece and travel throughout the country before igniting the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games.
 
International Relay

  • The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay will travel throughout Greece and around world. The international portion of the relay will span 35 days visiting 34 cities (including ancient Olympia) in 27 countries (including Greece). 
     
  • The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay has several “firsts” including:
· The first truly global Olympic Torch Relay
· The first time the Olympic flame will visit all host cities of the Olympic Summer Games (including Beijing 2008)
· The first time the Olympic flame will visit Africa (Cairo, Egypt and Cape Town, South Africa)
· The first time the Olympic flame will visit South America (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
· The first time the Olympic flame will visit all the five land masses represented by the Olympic rings  
  • The Olympic flame is ignited by the sun’s rays in a traditional ceremony in Olympia, Greece, and is kept in a lantern that travels with the relay. A torch is lit from the flame every morning to start that day’s relay. The Olympic flame is passed from torch to torch. The lantern is closely guarded to ensure that the flame is never extinguished. 
     
  • More than 3,600 torchbearers will pass the Olympic flame during the international route for the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. 
     
  • The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay will travel more than 1,500 kilometres by torchbearer. 
     
  • The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay will travel more than 78,000 kilometres by air. 
     
  • Each torchbearer will carry the flame approximately 400 metres or approximately one lap around a track. 
     
  • The Olympic flame will travel an average of 48 kilometres per day. 
     
  • The Olympic flame will travel via torchbearers, automobile, airplane, boat, bicycle, wheelchair and motorcycle. 
     
  • The Olympic flame will stop at the end of each day for a city celebration. Details of this celebration will be announced by local cities soon.  
     
  • The International ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay will:
· Change time zones 37 times
· Use 20 local currencies
· Utilize 19 languages  
  • More than 264 million people reside in the 34 cities and surrounding areas where the Olympic flame will pass. 
     
  • More than 3.8 billion people reside in the 27 countries on the Relay. 
     
  • The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsors, The Coca-Cola Company and Samsung.
While in Greece:
 
· The torch was lit on March 25th, 2004 (the date that corresponds to the opening ceremony of Athens Olympic Games in 1896 and Greek Independence Day) and journeyed in Greece for 7 days; it returns to Greece after the international portion of the relay to resume its journey Greece in early July.
       
* 43 days of operations in Greek territory; 54 prefectures of Greece
 
* 174 Destinations – 24 Historic Sites – and 32 Islands
 
* About 7,700 torchbearers and 1,540 escort runners
 
* The ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games will take place from13-29 August 2004
 
-Ends-
 

© Press Release 2004