On Thursday, the Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece. Thus, the final countdown to the Olympic Games (Olympics) in London in Great Britain is underway.

The fire will burn during the 12,875 kilometer torch relay. It will go through the whole of England. Finally, it was taken to the Olympic stadium in east London. It was during the opening ceremony on July 27. The flames will be used to light fires that will burn inside the stadium during summer games.

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It was a warm and sunny day in Greece. An actor was supposed to play a high priest. He only needed a few seconds to light the fire. He does this with the help of mirrors that collect sunlight.

– With this ceremony, the final countdown begins. It was a dream come true when London was awarded the Olympics seven years ago, says Jacques Rogge. He is president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

This was his last Olympics as IOC president. He will quit his job next year.

– Solar energy powers the torch that will travel from the birthplace of the Olympics. This will be awarded to countries that create modern sports and fair play, Rogge added.

London became the first city to receive the Olympic flame twice. The Olympics will be held in England for the third time. However, the tradition of lighting the torch was only introduced in 1936.

– This is a very big moment for me, said London Olympics chief Sebastian Coe. Then he pledged to “protect fire, cherish its traditions and organize a torch relay to be proud of”.

The first relay runner was ocean swimmer Spyros Gianniotis. He is a Greek born in Liverpool in England. He passed it on to 19-year-old British boxer Alexander Loukos. He is from Greece.

In the first week, the torch will be carried around several important historical sites in Greece. This includes the Acropolis in Athens. The evening of May 17 was handed over to the British delegation. The final relay runners on Greek soil were weightlifter Pyrros Dimas and Chinese gymnast Li Ning. He lit the Olympic flame in Beijing, China, four years ago.

The relay on British soil begins at Land’s End on 19 May. It is the southernmost point in England. 7,300 people will take it around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. He will also be making a mini trip to Ireland in early July.

The final stage will be the highlight of the opening ceremony on July 27. The organizers will try as much as possible to keep secret who will light the fire in the stadium.