Library Item

Spectators and start of the Olympic Torch parade, George IV Bridge looking south

2012

The journey of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay began in Olympia, Greece on the 10th May. The lighting of the Olympic flame was in keeping with the traditional ceremony of the ancient Olympics. The Olympic flame was lit using the suns rays at the Temple of Hera, the historic ruins near to the home of the ancient Olympic Games. The torch was then carried on a 7 day relay stage around Greece before being handed over to the Princess Royal, Princess Anne in the Panathenaic Stadium on the 17th May 2012.
The British stage of the relay began on the 19th May 2012 at Lands End where Olympic gold Medallist Ben Ainslie carried the torch on the first stage of a 70 day relay. The relay covers all areas of the United Kingdom & Northern Ireland and travels through 1,019 different communities. 8,000 people were chosen to be "Torch-bearers", the name given to relay runners carrying the torch, and they are a mixture of inspirational people, nominated by others for the task of carrying the torch.
The Torch itself was designed especially for the London 2012 Olympics by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. The Torch is made up of aluminium perforated by 8,000 circles, to represent each of the Torch-bearers carrying it. More information on the construction of the torch and of the history of previous torches can be found on the London 2012 website.
London has hosted the Olympic Games on two past occasions, in 1908 and 1948. It is the only city in the United Kingdom to host the event.