10th May 2012 9:05am | By Alasdair Morton
The Olympic flame will be lit today in a ceremony in Olympia, Greece, ahead of its 70-day journey round the UK ahead of this summer’s games.
The torch will be lit by a ‘high priestess’ using a parabolic mirror to capture the morning sun’s rays, which represent purity.
The torch will then fly to the UK where it will be taken on a 70-day relay round the country before the start of the London 2012 Olympics on July 27.
“Today is the rallying call to the athletes – the best athletes of their generation – to come to London,” Lord Coe told the BBC of the ceremony.
“That, in itself, is a big moment because it’s the biggest sporting vent in the calendar.”
Photo: Getty.
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