In the hometown of the composer of the Olympic Anthem, Spyros Samaras, the Flame of the Olympic Games arrived today on the way from Ancient Olympia to Paris, the City of Light where the next Olympic Games will be held.
The Sacred Flame of Peace, sports ethics and human reconciliation was carried by Corfu athletes, including world champions and Olympians such as: Arsenis Tsiminos, World Junior Record Holder 2,000m. steeplechase, Anastasia Mesimeri, disabled person has distinguished herself in swimming competitions, Charalambos Theodosis, Champion in ice swimming, Maria Georgatou, Olympian in rhythmic gymnastics, Ioanna Bouziou, Olympian in softball and Spyros Gianniotis, Olympian in open water, who also lit the altar that had been set up in the lower square, where the authorities and a crowd of people welcomed the Olympic Flame.
There, the Olympic Anthem was heard as well as the national anthems of France and Greece which were performed together by the three philharmonics of the city as well as the philharmonic of Ano Korakiana. The national anthem of our country was performed by Despina Mouratidi.
Greetings were addressed by the Mayor of Central Corfu, Stefanos Poulimenos, the Consul of France in Thessaloniki, Jean-Luc Laveau, as well as the president of the Olympic Torch Relay Committee, Thanasis Vassiliadis.
At 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, the Olympic Flame will start from Kato Platia and through Arseniou Street will end up at the port for departure.
The greeting of Mayor Stefanos Poulimenos
“I welcome you to our island, to the historic city of Corfu, which today welcomes the Olympic Flame with emotion and pride. The flame that symbolizes and warms peace, the noble rivalry, the coexistence of Peoples. The flame that is Hope and a beacon for a better world, for better times. The flame that illuminates thousands of years of history.
28 centuries have passed since the first official recording of the Olympic Games in Olympia, 128 years since their revival in Athens and 88 years since the decision, in Tegea, to transfer the Olympic Flame from the cradle of the Games to the respective host city .
Timelessness alone proves the magnitude and value of the event, in which we are currently honored and fortunate to participate, in the passing of the torch, from Olympia to the City of Light in Paris.
Today, the People of Corfu, rejoice and honor her passage, from their lands, confirming their faith in the principles of noble competition and in the combination of physical achievements and spiritual virtues.
We welcome the Olympic Flame and hope that all the cities of the world will share the ideals of sport:
Ideal of cooperation, peace, spiritual and cultural upliftment.
In ancient times, the holding of the Olympic games stopped wars. It meant a truce. And today, where the demand for peace and prosperity is more relevant than ever, it unites the whole world.
“City”, “Democracy”, “Olympism”, are three Greek and at the same time Global words. All three belong to the vocabulary and deeper meaning of Culture.
The Flame of the Olympic games, contains strong symbolism and transmits to the whole world, values and ideals, which were born in Greece: the Olympic Spirit, the fair competition, the noble rivalry and above all the reconciliation of the Peoples.
When it is passed from hand to hand by people of all ages, of both sexes, of different cultures, educations, religions and origins, it confirms in practice that what unites the inhabitants of our planet is more than what divides them.
The geopolitical situation is not pleasant, as while we are discussing the Olympic games, two very important and dangerous wars are developing in Ukraine and Gaza, which threaten not only the parties directly involved, but global balance and peace.
Once upon a time the opening of the Olympic Games brought an automatic truce from the Peoples and States. Unfortunately, this is practically non-existent now.
Today, all of us together, from the central square of our city, we wish for logic and peace to prevail.
In closing, I want to congratulate and thank the Corfu torchbearers, who carried the flame from the port to here and will carry it tomorrow morning again to the port, to continue its journey.
Her Anastasia Mesimeri who has distinguished himself in swimming competitions, the Olympic open sea champion, Spyro Gianniotisthe Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics, Maria Georgatouthe Olympic champion in softball, Ioanna Bouziouhim Arseni Cimino, 2,000m junior world record holder steeple and him Charalambos Theodosi, Champion in ice swimming.
I wish the spirit and messages that this Flame contains and condenses to be heard and conveyed everywhere. May the sacred truce of Antiquity be transformed into the world peace of today. Let the Paris Olympic Games be similar to the Games of the Sacred Pool, of Heracles, the vision of Coubertin and Vikelas, the expectation of all fans, of the entire planet.”
