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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 11 - 17 May 2000 Issue No. 481
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Features Interview Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters YESTERDAY'S lighting of a torch in ancient Olympia, at the temple of Hera, the site where the original Olympics were born in 776 BC, is a practice with a more venerable history than even the modern games, whose arrival it invariably heralds. This year, though, Greek officials were forced to settle for a less rarefied lighting ceremony than usual after cloudy weather forced them to abandon the traditional method of kindling the flame using rays from the sun. Instead, the torch was ignited with a flame lit the previous day during a rehearsal of the ceremony before beginning its 27,000 kilometre odyssey to Sydney, host of this year's games.
Light amid the clouds
photo: AP
