The "Flame of Hope" outshines the sun in Athens Anna Benaki-Psarouda, President of the Greek Parliament, welcomes (left-right) Tian Xuejun, People's Republic of China's Ambassador to Greece; Zhou Taitong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai; and Shen Zhifei, Vice President, Executive Board, China Disabled Persons’ Federation. [All photos by Haris Akriviadis] Despite the most intense heat wave in Greece for more than a century, the Torch Lighting Ceremony was carried out with a mix of solemnity and hope on 29 June in Athens. The event was hosted by Special Olympics Greece. Guests were welcomed by Special Olympics athletes Katerina Menichta (Greece) and Xu Chuang (China). Then, Joanna Despotopoulou, President of Special Olympics Greece, welcomed guests followed by speeches by Anna Benaki-Psarouda, President of the Greek Parliament; Dimitris Avramopoulos, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity; Fani Palli-Petralia, Minister of Tourism Development; Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health; Nikitas Kaklamanis, Athens Mayor; Zhou Taitong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai and Executive Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games; and Georgios Orfanos, Deputy Minister of Culture responsible for Sports. Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics Chairman, delivered the keynote speech. Shriver and Zhou Taitong were presented with the Medal of the City by Kaklaminis. Left-right: Muhtar Kent, President and Chief Operating Officer of Coca-Cola and Special Olympics International Board member; Georgios Orfanos, Deputy Minister of Culture responsible for sports; Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver; Special Olympics Hellas President Joanna Despotopoulou; Konstantinos Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece; Zhou Taitong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai;Tian Xuejun, People's Republic of China's Ambassador to Greece; European Commissioner for Health Markos Kyprianou. [Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Greece] Among the guests were Natasa Pazaitis-Karamanlis, wife of the Prime Minister of Greece; Muhtar Kent, President and Chief Operating Officer of Coca-Cola; senior representatives of the 2007 Games Organizing Committee, government officials and diplomats from China and Greece, law enforcement officers, Special Olympics athletes and their families as well as Chinese, Greek and Special Olympics global sponsors. Using the rays of the sun, the Flame was lit at the sacred site of Pnyx, located across from the Acropolis. Led by Special Olympics Greece athlete Maria Kotti, who took on the role of high priestess, Special Olympics athletes from a local training center for individuals with special needs and members of the Lyceum of Greek Women performed the ancient ceremony in front of guests and media. Once the Flame was lit, Kotti passed the Torch to Zhou Taitong. Special Olympics athlete Maria Kotti served as high priestess in the Torch Lighting Ceremony Then, under the watchful gaze of the Presidential Guard, Chinese law enforcement officers Li Yuyun and Lv Yinjie and Special Olympics China athletes Xu Chuang and Wang Shoudong joined Special Olympics athletes and Greek law enforcement officers to carry the Torch through Athens. The Torch made several stops at historic sites - Herod Atticus Odeon, temple of Olmpius Zeus, Zappeion Palace, Monument of the Unknown Solider and Megaro Maximou - before reaching the Panathinaikon Stadium. During the run, senior guests met with Konstantinos Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece, in his office. They included: Shriver, Kent, Ismail Osman, Special Olympics Board Member and Chairman, Special Olympics Egypt; Kyprianou, Orfanos, Zhou Taitong, Tian Xuezun, Ambassador of China to Greece; Shen Zhifei, Vice President, Executive Board, China Disabled Persons' Federation; and Despotopoulou. During the 30-minute meeting, guests were presented with a silver bowl engraved with the shield of the Hellenic Republic, while Shriver presented the Prime Minister with a painting commemorating the Torch Lighting Ceremony. Zhou Taitong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai and Executive Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, accepts the "Flame of Hope" from High Priestess Maria Kotti while the Presidential Guard takes it position When the Torch reached Panathinaikon Stadium, DHL employees were on hand to greet it and the runners (see sidebar). The Torch was then taken in a vintage car from the Automobile Club of Greece to the Chinese Embassy where a reception was held. Later, the Flame of Hope, carried in a miner's lamp, was taken to the airport where it was flown to Cairo, Egypt for its next stop on its journey around the world. Tian Xuejun, People's Republic of China's Ambassador to Greece, receives the torch at the Chinese Embassy in Athens. Prior to the Torch Lighting Ceremony, a gala dinner was held on 28 June (see sidebar). Guests were also invited to a farewell dinner on 29 June at the Yacht Club of Greece, hosted by Athanassios Oikonomou, Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization. Media coverage The Torch Lighting Ceremony was covered live on Greek National Television (ERT) and was reported in all major national, regional and local newspapers. The Chinese also had a strong media presence including China Central Television, Liberation Daily, Shanghai Media Group and the Xinming Evening News. There was also a crew who filmed the event for a National Geographic documentary on the Special Olympics Torch Run for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games. Also covering the event was a photographer who is documenting the lives of Special Olympics athletes and their families around the world for a book. Both the book and the documentary will be sponsored by DHL. All photographs courtesy of Haris Akriviadis. Photo Gallery Return to Global Torch Run main page