Greece in Beijing 2008

[NYCD 2012]

<font color='#000000'>No, no -- I think you're absolutely right.

I'd guess that the following cities will be the international torch relay stops:

1. Athens (1896, 2004)

2. Rome (1960)

3. Barcelona (1992)

4. Lausanne (IOC headquarters)

5. Paris (1900, 1924)

6. London (1908, 1948, 2012)

7. Brussels (EU headquarters)

8. Antwerp (1920)

9. Amsterdam (1928)

10. Munich (1972)

11. Berlin (1936)

12. Stockholm (1912)

13. Helsinki (1952)

14. Moscow (1980)

15. Cairo (as 1st African stop)

16. Cape Town (as 2nd African stop)

17. New York (UN headquarters)

18. Montreal (1976)

19. Atlanta (1996)

20. St. Louis (1904)

21. Los Angeles (1932, 1984)

22. Mexico City (1968)

23. Rio de Janeiro (as 1st South American stop)

24. Buenos Aires (as 2nd South American stop)

25. Sydney (2000)

26. Melbourne (1956)

27. Tokyo (1964)

28. Seoul (1988)

So I think it will be almost the same choice of cities as for the 2004 relay.

I'm a little bit torn whether it's a good idea to repeat Athens' global torch relay or not. On the one side, it's a brilliant idea to incorporate the whole world in every torch relay since it's the best expression of the global Olympic ideal. But on the other side, I'm afraid that it will get boring soon if always the same international cities are to host the torch relay every four years. Additionally, I think that it was a very appropriate idea for Athens to stage a global relay -- since Greece was the country which gave birth to Olympism and therefore plays a very special role for the whole world of sports. But I doubt that it's appropriate if every other Olympic host city copies that unique concept.

And I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to grant Greece whole segments of the opening and closing ceremony. Greece always has a special place at those ceremonies -- at the opening ceremony, its athletes march in first and at the closing ceremony, its flag is hoisted and its anthem is played. 2008 is no round anniversary for the birth of the Games so that I don't know the necessity for an additional special representation of Greece in both ceremonies. Furthermore, I have those awfully kitschy chariots and tunicas in my mind with which Moscow 1980 wanted to give a reference to Greece. I fear that, in Beijing and thus in another communist country, such exaggerated pomp could be repeated.</font>

I could an asian torch rally .

[taichi]

I'm want to know about the Beijing Torch relay. Is the torch relay going to be different from the previous games. I heard that it will pass through Mount Qomolangma. Plese give me an update on the torch relay?

Taichi Nomura

[micheal_warren]

I'm want to know about the Beijing Torch relay. Is the torch relay going to be different from the previous games. I heard that it will pass through Mount Qomolangma. Plese give me an update on the torch relay?

Taichi Nomura

the final torch relay has not been announced yet

[Sir Rols]

I'm want to know about the Beijing Torch relay. Is the torch relay going to be different from the previous games. I heard that it will pass through Mount Qomolangma. Plese give me an update on the torch relay?

Taichi Nomura

Well, that was certainly the plan earlier. Much was made of it a few years ago (actually, i think mainly during the bid stage), but since then I haven't heard much about it.

Beijing-Everest Torch Relay 2003 announcement

[micheal_warren]

Well, that was certainly the plan earlier. Much was made of it a few years ago (actually, i think mainly during the bid stage), but since then I haven't heard much about it.

Beijing-Everest Torch Relay 2003 announcement

yea neither have i, no doubt that we will start hearing a lot about it sometime soon