Amid Torch Malfunctions, Winter Games Have Begun

The Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics always end with the Olympic Flame being lit by torches, but this year something went awry! There were supposed to be four torches that would come from some sort of apparatus in the ground to four sports personalities, Catriona Le May Doan, Nancy Greene, Wayne Gretzky, and Steve Nash, but Ms. Le May Doan's torch was MIA! She was a good sport about it, reportedly saluting the crowd as the other three lit the symbolic cauldron. Officials immediately let it be known that things went awry, and announced that there would be a news conference on the mishap soon.

It's traditional for the lighters of the torch to hail from the country that is hosting the Olympic Games. Le May Doan is a Canadian speed skater and has been Olympic Champion twice. Greene is a champion Alpine skier, Gretzky is a retired hockey player who has been director of the Canadian men's hockey teams during the Winter Games, and Nash is a professional basketball player, also from Canada, and was captain of the Men's Basketball team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Th Olympic torch symbolizes the flame that Prometheus stole from the gods of Olympus to give to mortals. It has been regularly in the Olympic Games since 1928. The famous relay didn't begin until 1936, when the Games were held in Berlin. The torch is lit months before the games actually start in Olympia, Greece, and make their way across the world to wherever the host country and city are - in this case, Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. This year, the torch was lit in Greece on October 22nd. It traveled all the way across Canada, and was tracked on the Winter Games website. Many cities spend millions of dollars to accommodate the games, and have lasting marks, such at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, which is still very much in use today.

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be held from February 12-28. The games got off to a rough start due to the death of a young man from Georgia (the country), who was in an accident while practicing for the luge.

http://news.puggal.com/olympic-torch-malfunction-23086/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Flame
http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-torch-relay/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catriona_Le_May_Doan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Greene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Gretzky#Winter_Olympics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Nash
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/02/12/olympic.luge.crash/index.html