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Olympic Flame arrives in Canada

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The flame for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver has arrived in Victoria this morning.  Former Olympic speed skating champion Catriona Lemay Doan and Olympic triathlon champion Simon Whitfield together lit the torch at 11:05 a.m. Pacific Time, to officially launch the 2010 Winter Olympic torch relay.  The relay through Canada is said to be the longest in Olympic history, taking 106 days to reach the site of the opening ceremony.  It will cover 45,000 kilometers and travel through 1,030 Canadian communities.

The torch relay began on October 22 at Olympia of Greece, which is the "ancestral home of the ancient Olympic Games."  The torch was handed over to Canadian officials on Thursday after a weeklong relay through Greece.

Vancouver's Mayor Gergor Robertson told the press, "As mayor of the host city, I am delighted that the hands of Canadians will carry this flame on a historic journey that will end in Vancouver. The torch is the beacon of the Games. It represents the Olympic message of peace and friendship and we look forward to welcoming it to Vancouver in 2010."

Related tags (2): , Winter Olympics , Vancouver
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