The Tinder for the Winter Olympics will be handed over to the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee today

　　The tinder for the Beijing Winter Olympics was successfully collected in Ancient Olympia, Greece; former Chinese short-track speed skater Li Jiajun was the second torchbearer

　　The Tinder for the Winter Olympics will be handed over to the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee today

　　Yesterday, on the eve of the 100-day countdown to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the tinder for this Winter Olympics was successfully collected at the ancient Olympia site on the Peloponnese Peninsula in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics.

　　Greek President Katrina Sacraropoulou, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, Greek Olympic Committee President Spiros Capraros and Special Representative of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee-Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee Vice Chairman Yu Zaiqing attended the gathering ceremony together.

　　Today, the Greek Olympic Committee will transfer the flame to the delegation of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee after a three torch relay at the Marble Stadium (Panathinaiko Stadium) in Athens.

　　Greek alpine skier named first torchbearer

　　The collection ceremony began at 11:30 am local time yesterday.

As the Olympic anthem sounded over the site of the Temple of Hera in ancient Olympia, the flag of the Olympic rings was slowly raised.

Afterwards, the Chinese national anthem and the Greek national anthem were played in sequence, and the national flags of the two countries were raised respectively.

　　Tinder gathering is a symbolic activity in the Olympic movement.

In the ancient Olympics, people lit fire to commemorate Prometheus who stole fire for mankind in ancient Greek mythology.

In the history of the modern Olympics, fire was introduced for the first time in 1928, and fire transmission began in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

　　At 12 noon local time yesterday, in front of the 2500-year-old temple of Hera, the well-known Greek actress Sansi Giorgiou, who played the highest priestess, prayed to Apollo, the god of light, and lit a fire with a concave mirror .

　　After a dance performance, the highest priestess passed the lighted torch and the olive branch symbolizing peace and glory to the first torchbearer, the Greek alpine skier Giannis Antonius who held the Beijing Winter Olympics torch. Ioannis Antoniou).

　　Antonius, 26, won two bronze medals in the men's slalom and giant slalom at the 2012 World Youth Championship. At the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, he served as the first torchbearer in the tinder gathering ceremony.

　　Beijing Winter Olympics torchbearer uniform debut

　　Antonius is wearing the uniform of the torchbearer of the Beijing Winter Olympics, which has appeared before the public for the first time. The design elements of this uniform include the Olympic rings logo, the torch relay logo, and the core graphics of the torch relay landscape.

The full set of uniforms includes clothing, knitted hats, headbands, gloves and sports shoes.

As for the color selection, the main color is taken from the red and yellow of the flame, and the main tone of white highlights the color of Chinese red, and is lined with yellow, which reflects the characteristics of the torch relay of passion, enthusiasm, and celebration. The red line that reaches the sole of the foot and the torch are connected to form a complete line, forming a dynamic feeling, fully demonstrating the high-spirited posture of the torchbearer chasing forward.

　　Antonius, holding the "flying" torch, ran all the way to the monument of Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics, and passed the fire to the second torchbearer-former Chinese short-track speed skater Li Jiajun.

At the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, Li Jiajun won the silver medal in the 1,000 meters, becoming China's first male athlete to win a medal in the Winter Olympics.

　　"The Winter Olympics are held in Beijing. As an ice and snowman, I think it is a very sacred thing to be able to come to Greece to be a torchbearer," Li Jiajun said.

　　All activities on the day were carried out under strict epidemic prevention and control measures.

Today, the Greek Olympic Committee will transfer the flame to the delegation of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee after a three torch relay at the Marble Stadium (Panathinaiko Stadium) in Athens.

　　■ Sound

　　"Rekindle the passion and dream of the Olympic Movement in the hearts of 1.4 billion Chinese people"

　　Yu Zaiqing, vice chairman of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, said in his speech that the Olympic fire is a noble symbol of the Olympic spirit.

For thousands of years, the sacred fire has transmitted the light of light, unity, friendship, peace, and justice to the world, witnessed the glorious history of the development and progress of human civilization, exchanges and mutual learning, and interpreted the firm pursuit of mankind to challenge the limit and surpass itself. Illuminating the way for mankind to unite and cooperate to overcome difficulties.

When the new crown pneumonia epidemic hit, the Olympic flame once again brought people confidence, warmth and hope, and gathered the majestic strength to defeat the epidemic together.

　　"Today, the Olympic flame is about to be ignited again, riding the torch of the Beijing Winter Olympics, connecting ancient Greek civilization and Chinese civilization, and rekindling the passion and dream of the Olympic movement in the hearts of 1.4 billion Chinese people!" Yu Zaiqing said.

　　In his speech, IOC President Bach stated that since ancient times, the Olympic Movement has undertaken a mission of peace and requires us to respect the political neutrality of the Olympic Games.

Only by ensuring political neutrality can the Olympics transcend all political differences of the current era and build bridges and friendships between countries and regions.

　　Bach said: "Beijing will write history and become the first city in history that has hosted both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will connect the Chinese people with the world and enable 300 million people to participate in ice and snow. The vision of sports will forever change the history of winter sports. When China welcomes the best winter athletes, the world will see China's passion."

　　The President of the Greek Olympic Committee, Capraros, said at the gathering ceremony that the scene of the fire igniting will once again bring hope to the world.

　　"I believe that the Beijing Winter Olympics will be a victory of human will and hard work," Capraros said.

"When the best athletes in the world struggled to achieve great results in the Winter Olympics, Beijing will once again write a glorious page in the history of the Olympics."

　　Beijing News reporter Wu Wei