The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today confirmed places for over 7,300 inspiring people who will be carrying the Olympic Flame as Torchbearers in the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. The Torchbearers for the Dublin leg will be revealed shortly.
Over 7,300 inspiring people confirmed as Torchbearers for the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay
The Torchbearers announced today include those that were successful through the public nomination processes run by LOCOG and the Presenting Partners, Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. Each Torchbearer has also had confirmed the details of what day and in which community they will be carrying the Flame. LOCOG has endeavoured to slot Torchbearers within an hour of their nomination address so family and friends can cheer them on. The Torchbearers are listed by the community they are carrying the Olympic Flame in at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay together with a selection of their inspiring stories. The remaining Torchbearers will be confirmed over the coming months.
An average of 115 Torchbearers a day will carry the Olympic Flame during its 8,000 mile journey around the UK before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The streets along which the Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame were also revealed today at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay to help communities plan for lining the route and business continuity. Plans for the last two days in London will be confirmed in the next month. The online map gives street-by-street details and the approximate start times for how and when the Flame will travel through over 1,000 villages, towns and cities in the UK that were announced at the end of last year. Communities can view the journey of the Olympic Flame in detail now and can find out when it will be travelling along their nearest high street, through their town square or past their local village shop.
The map also gives details of the Olympic Flame’s visit to Dublin on the morning of 6 June. Torchbearers for Dublin will be confirmed in the coming month.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of LOCOG said: ‘Today we bring the Olympic Torch Relay to life, with thousands of inspirational people from all over the UK being confirmed as Torchbearers.
‘We hope local communities come out and line the streets to cheer on the Torchbearers, and celebrate the Olympic Games coming to the UK.’
LOCOG has worked closely with representatives from a number of sectors in each Nation and Region of the UK to devise the route and is taking the Olympic Flame to within ten miles of over 95% of the population.
The Flame will travel through over 1,000 communities as its travels round the UK and will be transported by a variety of different methods of transport, including by boat, cable car, hot air balloon, bicycle, motorbike and horseback. Additionally it will pass many monuments, historic venues and sites of regional, national and international interest. Further details about all these moments will be revealed in the run up to the Relay.
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport said: ‘This is a big day in the Olympic preparations – the Torch Relay will now come to life for millions of people. The excitement will be increasingly infectious as people all over the UK now start to plan where they’re going to go to see the Olympic Flame and cheer on local Torchbearers.’
‘Now everyone knows exactly where the Relay will be, they can get ready to line the streets and celebrate their local Future Flames. We’re also looking forward to showcasing some of the UK’s most exciting music artists at the nightly events on the route, including the four very special extended City Celebrations in Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham. Visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk/coca-colacelebrations for your chance to be there.’
Sally Hancock, 2012 Partnership and Group Sponsorship Director, Lloyds Banking Group, said: ‘The Olympic Torch Relay provides a wonderful opportunity for communities the length and breadth of the UK to get involved with the Games and celebrate people in their local area who have made a difference. We’re delighted to confirm our Olympic Torchbearers and celebrate the contributions they have made to communities across the UK. We are inviting everyone to cheer on the Olympic Torch Relay with Lloyds TSB as it travels past their doorstep this year.’
Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Global Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics, said: ‘We are really happy and excited to invite a great number of inspirational Torchbearers who have ‘gone the extra mile’ by contributing to the local communities, through our worldwide public nomination campaign as a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. Samsung wants to make London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay the most participative Relay ever. We will try to bring the memorable and inspirational moments to Torchbearers, towns and cities to celebrate the exciting moment of the Torch Relay.’
Information on the Dublin torchbearers will be announced shortly.