What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Paris Olympics

(15 Apr 2024)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4488707
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Ancient Olympia - 14 April 2024
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1. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Paphitis, The Associated Press:
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"We're in ancient Olympia, and behind us is the Temple of Hera, where on Tuesday the flame will be lit for the Paris Olympic Games. It's done in a very complicated way. You don't just use a lighter or something. They use a metal mirror, which focuses the sun's rays and it's a very sunny day -- so hopefully it will be on Tuesday, too -- focuses the sun's rays on a torch."
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ARCHIVE: Ancient Olympia, Greece - 18 October 2021
2. STILL Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou, playing the role of the High Priestess, lights the torch during the lighting of the Olympic flame at Ancient Olympia
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ARCHIVE: Ancient Olympia, Greece - 24 October 2017
3. STILL Actress Katerina Lehou, right, as high priestess, lights the torch during the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame in Ancient Olympia
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Ancient Olympia, Greece - 14 April 2024
4. Actress Mary Mina playing the role of high priestess practicing holding torch in concave mirror for lighting
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Paphitis, The Associated Press:
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"They could do it in a more simple way, but the idea is to show the link between the ancient games, which happened here -- they started here 2800 years ago -- and the modern games, which were recreated at the end of the 19th century."
6. Dancers playing the role of priestesses walking in ruins of the Temple of Hera
7. Various of actress Mary Mina playing the role of high priestess asking the ancient Greek god Apollo to help light the torch for the Paris Olympics
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Paphitis, The Associated Press:
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"This used to be holy ground where normally I wouldn't have been allowed because I'm not completely Greek, and it was only for Greek male free citizens to come here and watch the games and take part in the games. And they were held in the honor of Zeus, the king of the ancient Greek gods, …. they were held every four years. It was considered the most important religious and sporting event in ancient Greece."
9. Various of people entering stadium
10. Wide of stadium
11. Low angle shot of performers of the Olympic flame lighting ceremony walking through archaeological site
12. Ground shot of performers’ feet as they walk
13. Various of priestesses walking toward ancient stadium
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Paphitis, The Associated Press:
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"The driving force behind the modern Olympic Games was a Frenchman, the Baron Pierre de Coubertin. And in his honor, this monument was set up in 1927. It's just a few hundred meters from the ancient site.”
15. Close-up of lettering on monument reading (Greek and French) “Here rests the heart of Baron Pierre de Coubertin”
16. Wide of monument dedicated to Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Paphitis, The Associated Press:
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ARCHIVE: Ancient Olympia, Greece - 12 March 2020
18. STILL Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou, center, playing the role of the High Priestess, lights the torch of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
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ARCHIVE: Ancient Olympia, Greece - 21 April 2016
19. STILL First torch bearer, Greek gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias runs with the torch
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ARCHIVE: Barcelona, Spain - 25 July 1992
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