A Flame of Hope
With
the 2008 Summer Olympics about a year away, there is a
lot to be done. One of the many things ___1___
hammered out is the exact route of the Olympic Flame on its trip to
Beijing. As discussions continue about where and when
this unique symbol will travel, people are ___2___ notice
of one of the great traditions of the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Flame, or Torch,
was introduced to the modern Olympics in 1928, ___3___ the gift of fire
given to man by Prometheus. As in the Greek myth, the
flame ___4___ progress and knowledge. In 1936, the torch
was lit in Athens and carried by runners all the way to the site of
the Olympics in Berlin. This torch relay has ___5___ for
all the Summer Games since then and for all the Winter
Games since 1960. Each Olympic year, the torch is lit
from the same fire in Athens and taken to the
host city. In 2004, a global torch relay
was held for the Athens Olympics, lasting 78 days ___6___
all previous Olympic cities.
The torch has traveled many miles by runners, boats, and
airplanes, and even gone underwater. ___7___ the torch
relay goes next year, it will surely be an object
of interest and inspiration.
The Olympic Games have come and gone to many cities all
over the world, but the flame itself just keeps going. |