Information

 

The Olympic Flame, a symbol of the 13th European Youth Olympic Festival Tbilisi 2015, was lit on ​May 26th in the ancient Greek city, Athens. The Lighting Ceremony took place at the Panathenaic Stadium. The Flame was lit during a special ritual dance led by the High Priestess Mrs. Katerina Lehou. Mrs. Lehou lit the Olympic torch with the power of the sun and handed the flame to the Greek pole vaulter, Emmanouil Karalis. He handed the flame over to the Georgian athlete, Lasha Shavdatuashvili, who was the first torchbearer from the Georgian side to relay the Flame around the Panathenaic Stadium. Lasha was a Gold medalist in Judo at the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2013, he won the European Championships in Judo. He was also named Georgia's top athlete (as the top athlete of Georgia). He handed the Flame over to the second Georgian torchbearer, Mariam Bolkvadze, who was the Bronze medalist in Tennis at the EYOF in Utrecht in 2013.

At the end of the Ceremony, Spyros Capralos, President of the Greek Olympic Committee, handed over the symbolic torch which was lit by the rays of the Sun God Apollo, to Aleksi Akhvlediani, Chair of EYOF Tbilisi 2015. The entire ceremonial reception of the Flame by the Greek Olympic committee was a great honor for the EYOF Tbilisi 2015 organizers.

A number of Georgians living in Athens: famous Georgian athletes, public figures and representatives of a number of Tbilisi 2015 official sponsors attended the ceremony.

On the same day the Flame was transported with special charter flight in special safety lantern and an extraordinary two month journey of Flame throughout the Georgia started involving 700 torchbearers and 67 municipalities. In Most cases the flame was met with concerts and festive activities. Tbilisi 2015 torch with Georgian wine elements was handed over by the famous and distinguished persons including the legends of Georgian Sport, Olympic champions, World and European champions, young sportsmen, mayor of the cities.
Gino Paradise was the official sponsor of the Olympic Torch of Tbilisi 2015

The Lighting Ceremony took place at the Panathenaic Stadium on 26 May 2015

Lighting of the Olympic flame and the start of the Tbilisi 2015 Olympic torch relay

Torch relay in Regions