A ceremony in Ancient Olympia, Greece has marked the official countdown to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. The lighting of the flame launches a torching relay which will end at the opening of the games on February 9.
Standing in front of the 2600-year-old Temple of Hena, an actress playing an ancient priestess lit the ceremonial torch. The flame was then passed to Greek skier Apostolos Angelis and on to Manchester United soccer player Park Ji-sung.
“The stage is set for the winter athletes of the world and we are looking forward to a successful and great Olympic Games in Pyeongchang,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach told Sports Illustrated.
The 2018 Olympic Winter Games will begin on February 9 next year. The host city, PyeongChang, is just 50 miles south of the North Korean border.