MUNICH, 30 June 2004 — The Olympic torch was passed on to the southern German city of Munich yesterday for the first time since the terrorism-marred 1972 Games.
The torch, which was in Rome the previous day, was brought to Munich’s Olympic Stadium to the cheers of 3,000 spectators.
The torch was run some 48 kilometers through the city in a relay involving 124 personalities from Germany’s sports, entertainment and business sectors, culminating in ceremonies at the main Marienplatz Square in downtown Munich.
After Munich, the next stop for the Olympic torch will be the German capital Berlin, site of the 1936 Olympics, as it makes its way toward the Aug. 13 opening ceremony of the 2004 games in Athens.
Former athlete Guenther Zahn, the man who lit the flame in Munich’s Olympic Stadium 32 years ago, was the first to take the torch as it entered the stadium. “It was a wonderful moment then and it’s just the same today,” he said after completing his leg with the torch.
Klaus Steinbach, head of German National Olympic Committee and one of the torch bearers, said Munich was a city “which is proud and can be proud” of the Olympics. The torch run was “a very emotional” event which “heralded the Olympics”.
Now there are those in Munich who would like the Games again - but this time the winter Games.
“For athletes, the Olympics is the greatest,” said torch-bearer Rosi Mittermaier, who won two skiing golds at the 1976 winter Games in Innsbruck.
“Perhaps Munich will one day host the winter Games. That would be good,” she said.
The Olympic flame was lit March 25 in ancient Olympia for the Aug. 13 opening ceremony of the Athens Games, which run until Aug. 29.
For the first time the 78,000-kilometers relay included an international leg, featuring 33 cities (among the all previous Olympic host cities) from June 5-July 4.
