The Olympic Flame was handed over for the Youth Olympic Games

The Olympic Flame was once again lit on December 1st, at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens and was  handed over to the Norwegian delegation for the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games.

The Philharmonic Band of Athens Municipality opened the ceremony and then entered the Greek, the Olympic and the Norwegian flag. A group of dancers lead by her High Priestess, Greek actress Katerina Lehou, lighted the flame and handed it over to the first of the young torchbearers, slalom skier Giorgos Karakasis. He handed the flame over to alpinist Maria Evangelopoulou, who then gave it to football player Runa Møller Tangstad. The final torchbearer was wrestler Grace Bullen.

The safety lamp was lighted for the sacred flame. The President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Mr Spyros Capralos, the Chairperson of the Board “Lillehammer 2016” Ms Siri Hatlen and Runa Møller Tangstad addressed the young audience at the stadium. Their Olympic message was a timeless call for dialogue, fraternity, mutual understanding, respect and solidarity all over the world.

SOURCE: Embassy of Norway