Olympic torch relay has begun

The Olympic Torch relay has begun in Rome. Stefano Baldini, the marathon gold medalist from the Athens Games, began the relay after receiving the torch from president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.

A total of 10,001 torchbearers will carry the torch across Italy, visiting 140 cities, and crossing neighbouring countries such as Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and France.

When I was 16 I got to see the Olympic Torch relay run by my mother’s house. It was very exciting; too bad I won’t be able to go to Italy to watch the torch get passed around between now and February 10 when the games commence.