Olympic flame lit in Greece before coming to Georgia
Tweet 
Share
The Olympic flame for the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) has been lit in the ancient Greek city of Athens and will today travel to Georgia for the international youth sporting competition.
Only minutes ago the Olympic torch was be lit in Athens – the oldest city of Greece and the home of the Olympic Games –to mark the beginning of the EYOF 2015, as well symbolically recognizing Georgia’s Independence Day.
Torch bearers
The flame was lit at a special ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens and handed to Georgian sportsman Lasha Shavdatuashvili, who is the official first torch bearer of the EYOF 2015.
Shavdatuashvili was selected for his excellence in Judo; he gained a gold medal in the Judo competition at the London Olympic Games in 2012. He became European champion in 2013 and is currently recognised as the best sportsman in Georgia.
Shavdatuashvili then handed the Olympic torch to Mariam Bolkvadze, who gained third place at the Olympic Festival in Utrecht in tennis.
Later tody after the Panathenaic Stadium celebration, the Olympic torch will be transported to Georgia’s seaside city Batumi. The flame is due to arrive at 8pm tonight, where celebrations will continue at Batumi’s piazza square.
On May 28 the Olympic flame will leave Batumi and be transported across the 67 municipalities of Georgia before the EYOF begins in July.
On July 14 the flame will come to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi – the host city of the EYOF. The international competition will be held from July 25 to August 1, 2015.
This year is the 13th biennial competition. The flame will be ablaze until the end of the competition.
This year the Olympic torch is decorated with the Georgian elements - vine leaves and grape seeds.
The EYOF 2015, commonly known as Tbilisi 2015, will see more than 4,000 youth athletes from 49 European countries descend on Georgia’s capital to participate in nine sports: judo, tennis, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, track and field athletics, swimming, volleyball, handball and basketball.
A group representing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are in Georgia to discuss how the country will host the European Youth Olympic Festival next year, in which more than 4,000 athletes from 49 countries are expected to participate.
Representatives of the upcoming Youth Olympic Games have met with Georgian leader and inspected the facilities that will be used in the July 2015 international festival, where more than 4,000 athletes from 49 countries are expected to participate.
Representatives of the upcoming Youth Olympic Games have met with the country’s leader and inspected the facilities to be used in the July 2015 international festival, where more than 4,000 athletes from 49 countries are expected to participate.
The Olympic flame for the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) has landed in Georgia’s seaside city Batumi ahead of the Tbilisi 2015 torch relay after being flown from Athens, Greece.
People in southern Georgia are among the first in the country to be given the rare opportunity to see the Olympic flame.
A celebration is planned in Rustavi this evening to mark the arrival of the Olympic flame.
Only 50 days are left until the official start of the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Tbilisi.
The Olympic flame has left the land of Georgian wine and is continuing its journey across the mountainous Kazbegi municipality by the helicopter.
"I am confident that we will witness a great Olympic Games and it will be exciting for all of us", says Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
A limited edition silver coin has been developed as one of the symbols of the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), being held in Tbilisi later this month.
A new and modern sports facility that will host young athletes at the upcoming European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) has opened today in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.
In less than two weeks thousands of the world’s best young athletes, their coaches and supporters will come to Georgia for the European Youth Olympic Festival 2015.
With ten days to go before the official opening of the European Youth Olympic Festival 2015, the Olympic Flame is preparing to enter Georgia’s capital city.
The Olympic Flame has entered Georgia’s capital city Tbilisi for the first time in the city’s history.
The last sporting facility for the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) 2015 has opened today - three days before the Festival begins - meaning Tbilisi is officially ready to host the international sporting competition.