Original title: the torch handover ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games was held in Athens
Athens, October 19 (reporter Han Shuo) on October 19, the flame of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games was officially handed over by the Greek Olympic Committee to the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee at Panathinaiko stadium in Athens, the Greek capital. Panayotis bikramenos, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece, Spiros kapoulos, President of the Greek Olympic Committee, and Yu Zaiqing, vice president of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee, special representative of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee, attended the handover ceremony.
The ceremony began at about 12 noon local time. As usual, the flag is raised first and the Olympic anthem, the national anthems of China and Greece are played. Then, the Greek actress playing the supreme priestess led the other priestesses into the stadium with an olive branch. Then the torchbearer enters. The torch passed three rods in the stadium. The second torchbearer was Li Nina, a former Chinese women's freestyle skiing aerialist.
Kapoulos said in his speech 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 and best wishes to China.
Yu Zaiqing said: "On March 30, 2008, we took over the flame of the Beijing Olympic Games here and, together with people all over the world, hosted an unparalleled Olympic Games. Over the past 13 years, we have vigorously carried forward the Olympic spirit, actively promoted the Olympic culture and spread Olympic knowledge. China's Olympic movement has achieved great development. At this moment, we will take over the flame of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games The flame bearing the Olympic spirit will be displayed and transmitted inside and outside the Great Wall again, and will shine the light of peace and friendship on the land of China! "
After the speech, the supreme priestess lit the torch again and handed it to kapoulos, who then handed it over to Yu Zaiqing, marking the successful completion of the fire handover ceremony.
According to the plan, the kindling for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games will be kept in the kindling lamp and brought back to China by the delegation of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee.
People's daily (October 20, 2021, edition 03)