ATHENS, Greece, March 24 (UPI) -- The Olympic flame was lit in Greece Monday and carried off on an 85,000-mile journey that will end in Beijing for the start of the 2008 Summer Games.
The sun's rays, focused by a parabolic mirror, were used to light a torch in Greece at the site of the ancient Olympics. An actress playing a priestess then lit a torch held by Greek athlete Alexandros Nikolaidis, a Taekwondo silver medalist in 2004, to begin the first leg of the relay.
Chinese Olympic officials have scheduled a route for the torch that takes it across five continents before reaching China. The tour relay there will pass through more than 100 sites before reaching the 2008 Games' opening ceremonies Aug. 8.
"The 2008 Olympic torch relay wants to be a journey of harmony, bringing the message of peace to people of different nationalities, cultures and creeds," International Olympic Committee Chairman Jacques Rogge said Monday.
Demonstrators have said they would try to disrupt the torch relay and Monday ran into the stadium during the torch-lighting ceremony and a speech by Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee President Liu Qi. The protesters were apprehended by police.
