News Archive

Led by the NOK president Klaus Steinbach, numerous prominent personalities from

the areas of sport, science, and culture will be participating in the Olympic

torch relay through Munich (June 29) and Berlin (June 30). The longest Olympic

torch relay of all times will return after travelling through 33 cities in 26

countries on July 9 to the host country of the Olympic Summer Games (from

August 13-29).

While presenting the programme at a recent NOK press conference in Berlin,

Steinbach said, "I run about 15 km three times a week and think that I am

well prepared for my stretch" The once world-class swimmer who

participated in the 1972 Olympics in Munich will carry the torch 400

metres.

The NOK head will also be escorting other torch bearers 2 km through the

Berlin. The former world-champion boxer Henry Maske, decathalete Olympic gold

medalist Christian Schenk, hurdler Mike Fenner, and many others will carry the

torch along the 50 km course through Berlin. There will be a total of 120

runners carrying the torch through Berlin.

On Wednesday morning, June 30th, the flame will arrive in Berlin with full

entourage in 2 Boeing 747s from Munich. Starting at noon, it will then be

carried through Berlin, the site of the 1936 Olympics.

The torch relay will approximately follow the course of the BERLIN-MARATHON.

"It will pass by all of the important spots in Berlin", said Dieter

Krickow, the head of the German Olympic Institute in Berlin.

The race is to pass by many sights, such as the Schöneberg City Hall

and the Federal Chancellery. At about 6 p.m., the big evening closing event

will start on Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Along with lots

of show and music, all of the German Olympic athletes will be introduced. In

addition, the semi-final of the European Football Championships will be

broadcast on a giant screen.

For the first time, this year the flame will tour through all of the former

Olympic cities before it arrives at the opening ceremonies of the 21st Olympic

Summer Games on August 13 in the Athens Olympic Stadium.

The Olympic Torch Relay was intruduced at the 11th Olympic Games in 1936 in

Berlin, after being lit by the sun through a concave mirror in the ailantery of

Zeus. A young woman dressed as a priestess held the torch in the focal point of

the mirror. It took 15 seconds for the torch to light. The young Greek man,

Konstantin Kondyllis was the first runner to carry the torch, which then was

carried over 3000 kilometres across Europe to Berlin in 11 nights and 12 days.

On August 1, 1936, the Olympic flame reached Berlin.

Siegfried Eifrig, a member of the sport club SCC Berlin - organizer of the

famous BERLIN-MARATHON -, carried the torch as the last runner, escorted by 6

runners from SCC, down the boulevard "Unter den Linden" to the

Lustgarten, where in a festive celebration he lit an alter where the flame

burned until the next day when it was taken on its final journey to the Olympic

Stadium. Each runner was allowed to keep his torch - Siegfried Eifrig still has

his today.

Siegfried Eifrig has kept fit over years by jogging, walking, and biking.

And on June 30th, almost seventy years later, he will again be part of the

torch relay.