Flame for Turin winter Olympics lit in Ancient Olympia、Beijing police chief briefs media on Olympic security issue
Flame for Turin winter Olympics lit in Ancient Olympia
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece, Nov. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- High Priestess Theodora Siarkou here on Sunday lighted the Olympic torch with a backup flame in an official lighting ceremony for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
Because of the overnight heavy rain and heavy clouds hovering the Ancient Olympia -- the birthplace of the Olympics, the backup flame, which were kindled with a concave steel mirror in a rehearsal on Saturday, were used to light the Olympic Flame.
Bad weather affected the ceremony for the Sydney 2000 Summer Games, and the past two Winter Olympics -- at Salt Lake City in 2002, and Nagano in 1998.
After the lighting ceremony, Siarkou and 17 female priestesses -- all wearing pleated white dresses and sandals -- carried the flame in a copy of an ancient Greek pot to a cypress-ringed clearing in front of the cemetery of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics.
Following a short dancing ceremony in front of a marble pillar under which the French baron's heart is buried, Siarkou lit the official torch for the 20th Winter Games, in the presence of Turinorganizing chief Valentino Castellani and Greek Olympic Committee President Minos Kyriakou.
The first torch bearer 19-year-old Costas Filippidis, right hand with the torch and left hand with the olive branch taken fromthe olive tree in front of the Hera temple given by Siarkou, started the official torch relay on Greek territory.
The torch relay in Greece will travel 69 municipalities and 18 prefectures, covering 2006 kilometers with 534 torchbearers in 10-day period before it leaves for Italy.
The Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games is scheduled for Feb. 10-26 next year.
From:www.beijing2008.com
Beijing police chief briefs media on Olympic security issue
Scene of the briefing on Olympic security issues. |
BEIJING, Nov. 25, 2005 - Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, the city's Foreign Affairs Office and the Security Department of Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) jointly held a press briefing on the security issue of the Beijing Olympics at a police patrol station in Beijing today.
Over 50 journalists of 38 media from 15 countries and regions attended the briefing given by Ma Zhenchuan, Director of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.
To ensure a peaceful Olympic Games including the safety of all competitions, participants, competition venues, Olympic Village and Media Village, the Beijing police will pursue "high-level security with distinguishing features" characterized by three aspects - "modern commanding and management of police affairs, modern facilities and equipment of the police, and high cultural quality of the police", Ma said, adding that the Public Security Bureau will embrace the strategic concept of "New Beijing, Great Olympics" and the idea of "integral prevention and control, accurate guide, and accurate strike."
Ma also introduced a list of tasks the bureau has been working on to improve its ability to deal with unexpected incidents at the Games which is 986 days away. He said the bureau will
- Make continuous effort to improve the construction of the commanding system while strengthening the information management;
- Get readily equipped with high-tech arming;
- Increase its capacity in public security to cope with any unexpected situations in transport and communication, firefighting and on occasions of mass activity;
- Enhance examination and supervision on security measures of project designs of Olympic competition venues;
- Continuously organize policemen to participate in various professional trainings and combat drills in order to increase comprehensive capability; and
- Engage in international cooperation with relevant authorities of those cities which have experience in hosting Olympic Games, by inviting experts to Beijing and applying sophisticated and practical equipment to add technological weight to Beijing's security measures.
Ma promised to provide good services for overseas media which cover the security work of 2008 Olympiad, abiding by the Olympic Charter and co-host cities' contract.
Following the briefing, the Special Police of Beijing conducted drills in the area of column alignment, boxing to seize enemy, use of firearms, role of police dogs, tactics to cope with football hooligans and anti-kidnapping.
Ma Zhenchuan at the briefing, Ma is Director of Beijing Public Security Bureau . |
Beijing Policemen at a drill. |
From:www.beijing2008.com