An 18-year-old Greek skier will be the first athlete to run with the Olympic flame in the torch relay for the Sochi Winter Games.
Ioannis Antoniou was selected Friday as the first torchbearer for the relay, which will start after the flame has been lit at a special ceremony in Ancient Olympia on September 29.
Antoniou, has been skiing since the age of four and hopes to be on the Greek team for the February 7-23 Games in Russia. He placed 75th in the world championship giant slalom in Schladming, Austria, in February.
The flame reaches Russia on October 7. The torch will travel about 65,000 kilometers around the country, the longest relay in Winter Games history.
The relay will end with the opening ceremony in Sochi on Feb. 7. The Olympics will run through February 23.
(source: thenews)
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