Nikos Kaklamanakis lighting the cauldron at the Olympic Museum in Athens. [Photo: Hellenic Olympic Committee/Eurokinissi]
Kaklamanakis Carries the Flame Like it’s 2004!
by Philip Barker at the Athens Olympic Museum
The Olympic Flame returned briefly to Athens recalling memories of the Games twenty years ago when windsurfer Nikos Kaklamanakis lit the Olympic Flame.
In the shadow of the stadium where the Ceremony had taken place, Kaklamanakis lit a much smaller cauldron in front of the new Olympic Museum.
“It is a great honour, it has been twenty years already but to me nothing has changed. Transferring the Olympic values, this is what the Olympic Flame is about, it is a lifetime goal for me,” Kaklamanakis admitted.
“It is about passing the Torch in our everyday life.”
The Ceremony had been watched by the French ambassador and had been preceded by a performance of dance by young men portraying the ancient Kouros.
This had been devised by Artemis Ignatiou, choreographer of the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony.
Ignatiou had carried the Torch as it made its way up the Acropolis Hill the previous evening.
Six-time Olympian shooter Agi Kasoumi had also joined the Relay.
At the summit, triple European and Mediterranean Games swimming gold medallist Andreas Vazaios had passed to 400m hurdler Periklis Iakovakis to light the cauldron in front of the Parthenon.
In 2003 Iakovakis won World Championship bronze at the Stade de France.
“It is a unique moment. The beauty of the Acropolis is incredible and the combination of the presence of the Olympic Flame and the privilege of lighting the altar is unique,” Iakovakis said. “The importance of the Olympic Games and their message are timely because we all see that there is tension and war in our neighbourhood and I hope, even if it is not realistic, that something of the greatness of the Olympic Games will reach there too, that maybe a solution will be found and all this will stop.” The Torch had previously visited Santorini and Naxos.
International Olympic Academy President Isidoros Kouvelos was also a Torchbearer when the Flame visited Navarino.
Later the Relay headed to the coastal town of Volos to spend the night.
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