Chinanews.com, October 19-On the 19th, the Beijing Winter Olympics fired at the Panathinaiko Stadium (Marble Stadium) in Athens, the capital of Greece, and was officially handed over by the Greek Olympic Committee to the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee.

Greek Deputy Prime Minister Panayotis Bikramenos, Greek Olympic Committee President Piros Capraros, and Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee Special Representative-Vice Chairman of Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee Yu Zaiqing attended the meeting. The handover ceremony of the day.

  The ceremony of the day began at 12 noon. According to the usual practice, the flag was raised and the Olympic anthem, Chinese and Greek national anthems were played. The famous Athens Philharmonic Orchestra played on the spot.

Subsequently, the famous Greek actress Sansi Giorgiou, who played the highest priestess, led the other priestesses into the stadium.

  The torch carried out three passes in the stadium, and the second torchbearer was Li Nina, a former Chinese female freestyle skiing aerials athlete.

Li Nina is one of the best athletes in China's snow sports so far. She won two silver medals at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and won three world championships from 2005 to 2009.

  Li Nina said that she used to compete on the field as an athlete, and after retiring, she has been serving the team and participated in a series of work in Beijing's bid for the Winter Olympics.

Before the opening of the Winter Olympics, I received such a glorious task, which is a very memorable event in my life, and it also made my connection with the Winter Olympics more complete.

  The last shot of the torch relay was handed over to the Greek cross-country skiing and biathlon athlete Paraskevi Yadopulu. The 43-year-old veteran is still fighting on the field and has won the Beijing Winter Qualification for Olympic cross-country skiing.

After receiving the torch, Yadopulu ran to the holy brazier beside the two priestesses, lit the holy brazier, and completed the torch relay.

  After a dance by the priestesses, Capraros, President of the Greek Olympic Committee, and Vice President Yu Zaiqing delivered speeches successively.

  In his speech, Vice Chairman Yu Zaiqing first expressed his gratitude to the Greek government, the Greek Olympic Committee and the Greek people for the meticulous arrangement and strong support of the fire collection and handover ceremony on behalf of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee.

  Yu Zaiqing said: "On March 30, 2008, we took over the fire of the Beijing Olympic Games and, together with people all over the world, hosted an unparalleled Olympic Games. For 13 years, we have vigorously promoted the Olympic spirit and actively promoted the Olympic Games. Culture and dissemination of Olympic knowledge, the Chinese Olympic movement has achieved great development. At this moment, we will take over the fire of the Beijing Winter Olympics. The fire that carries the Olympic spirit will once again be displayed and passed on the Great Wall inside and outside, and will bloom on the land of China. And the light of friendship!"

  Yu Zaiqing said that in the face of the global epidemic, the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee will uphold the principle of life first and health first, innovate forms, combine the fire display activities with the traditional torch relay, and create a unique torch relay journey.

  Capraros, president of the Greek Olympic Committee, said that China and Greece have thousands of years of history and close ties.

The Olympic flame will not only convey peace and friendship, but also bring Greece's respect for China and good wishes.

  "Beijing is making history and becoming the first city to host the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics at the same time. We are very happy to hand over the Olympic flame to you here, and we have become part of history," Capraros said.

  After the speech, the highest priestess lit the torch again and handed the torch to Capraros, the chairman of the Greek Olympic Committee, who then handed the torch to Yu Zaiqing, the vice chairman of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee.

It marked the successful completion of the fire handover ceremony.

  According to the plan, the tinder for the Beijing Winter Olympics will be kept in the tinder lamp and brought back to China by the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee delegation.

  The originality of the Beijing Winter Olympics flame lanterns originated from the "First Light in China"-the Western Han Dynasty Changxin Palace Lantern.

The long letter palace lantern was unearthed in Hebei, one of the competition areas of this Winter Olympics. It is a palace lantern of the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.

  "Long Faith" is an eternal belief, representing people's pursuit and yearning for light and hope.

The flying red ribbon wraps around the top of the tinder lamp, which is unified with the visual image of the torch "flying" and symbolizes the fighting spirit of the Olympics.

The square and round nesting symbolizes the place where the sky is round. The silver metallic luster and the crystal clear glass form a contrast, expressing the perfect harmony between the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation and the Olympic spirit.

  The tinder for the Beijing Winter Olympics was successfully collected on the 18th at the ancient Olympia site on the Peloponnese Peninsula, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

The Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee delegation will take a flight from Athens on the afternoon of the 19th to bring the Olympic tinder back to China.

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