Torch and sandals: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Paris Olympics

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS
Associated Press

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (AP) — In a meticulously choreographed ceremony on Tuesday, the flame for this summer’s Paris Olympics will be lit at the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games in southern Greece. It will then be carried through Greece for more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) before being handed over to French organizers at the Athens venue used for the first modern Olympics in 1896. Here’s a look at the workings and meaning of the elaborate ceremony held among the ruins of Ancient Olympia ahead of each modern Olympiad.