Olympic flame continues tour of Georgia

A celebration is planned in the city of Rustavi this evening to mark the arrival of the Olympic flame.

The Olympic flame is on a journey across Georgia, visiting the country’s 67 municipalities before arriving in Tbilisi in mid-July for the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).

The Olympic torch was lit in Athens, Greece on May 26 and immediately transported to Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city of Batumi. Since then the torch has visited several municipalities and carried by local sporting heroes.

On May 28, the flame travelled across the mountainous Adjarian region and continued its path to southern Georgia.

On May 29, torch bearers carried the flame into the Adigeni and Akhaltsikhe municipalities, and on May 31 the flame visited Aspindza and Akhalkalaki. On June 1 the Olympic flame arrived at Ninotsminda, on June 2 at Tsalka, Tetritskjaro and Dmanisi, while on June 3 the Olympic flame visited Bolnisi and Marneuli.

Today the flame will travel to the Gardabani municipality and Tbilisi’s neighbouring town Rustavi. This evening a concert dedicated to the arrival of Olympic torch will be held in the central square of Rustavi.

After Rustavi the torch will continue travelling around Georgia, and in the next few months the Olympic torch will be transported across Georgia’s 67 municipalities before arriving in Tbilisi on July 14.

The Olympic torch was lit in Athens – the oldest city of Greece and the home of the Olympic Games – on May 26 to mark the beginning of the EYOF 2015, as well symbolically recognising Georgia’s Independence Day.

The EYOF torch was lit at a special ceremony at Panathenaic Stadium, where it was handed to Georgian sportsman Lasha Shavdatuashvili as the first official torch bearer or EYOF 2015. Shavdatuashvili won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games for Judo.

The EYOF will be held in Tbilisi from July 25 to August 1, 2015.This year is the 13th biennial competition.

To symbolise Georgia, the Olympic torch has been decorated with the Georgian elements - vine leaves and grape seeds. The flame will be ablaze until the end of the competition.

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.