The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have confirmed the route and places for over 7,300 inspiring people who will be carrying the Olympic Flame as Torchbearers in the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay for it’s 8,000 mile journey.
The Olympic flame arrives in the UK on 18 May and begins its 70 day journey at Land’s End on the morning of 19 May.
It will pass through 1,018 places as well as visiting Dublin on its journey to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on 27 July.
Potential torchbearers were nominated through programmes run by LOCOG and sponsors Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung in 2011 and are aimed to recognise and reward people with a story of personal achievement and or contribution to the local community.
The torch will be carried by 7,300 people who were nominated and the remaining 700 will be athletes and celebrities.
Five of the torchbearers will join gold medal-winning triple jumper Jonathan Edwards and London Mayor Boris Johnson at a primary school in east London on Monday to mark the detailed route of the torch relay being released.
Each torchbearer will carry the flame for about 300m and about 110 people will take part each day.
Amongst the sports stars who are carrying the torch is Britain’s number one female tennis player Elena Baltacha who says she will be “so, so proud” after being selected,
“This is such an amazing honour that it’s hard to put it into words. The Olympic Torch is a unique symbol, not just for athletes but for everybody who is part of London 2012.
“I’m going to feel so, so proud to have the torch in my hand and to help it make its journey around Britain. Making the GB Olympic tennis team is a massive goal for me this year and I’m sure the other British girls feel the same. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that I qualify.”
Baltacha, who hopes to be part of the GB Team competing at the Olympic Tennis Event at Wimbledon, has been selected to carry the torch in St Peters, Kent on 19 July 2012.
Lizzie Flint, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports magazine
Photo credit: Andrew Baker
