The organizers of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games have announced the route of the torch relay leading up to the event. Once the torch arrives from Athens, the relay will be solely within Canada, traveling 45,000 kilometers and visiting 1000 communities in all parts of the country. The relay begins on October 30, 2008 in Victoria and will end at the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Games on February 12, 2009. For a map of the relay route, visit the Vancouver Olympics Web site.

If you are a Canadian citizen age 13 or older and able to run at least 300 meters, you can apply to be a torch bearer. For an application form, click here.

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Vancouver Games Torch Route Announced

One of the torches used during the Beijing Olympic Torch relay sold for 260,000 yuan ($37,843) this week at auction. The auction was part of Olympex, an expo of Olympic memorabilia being held in Beijing.

According to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) the torches were gifts to the individual torch bearers. They said that they do not encourage such sales, but that they were not going to ban the practice.

The Beijing Games are unique in giving the torches to the bearers. In previous Olympic torch relays, the bearers had the option to purchase the torches.

^{(photo © BOCOG)}

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Beijing Olympic Torch Sells for More than $37,000

The Olympic Torch arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday and began its two-day relay around the city leading up to the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremonies on Friday. Among the 433 torchbearers were Olympic basketball star Yao Ming (pictured above). Many guessed that Ming might be the one to light the cauldron at the ceremony, but as each torchbearer by tradition can only touch the torch once, he is now eliminated. Could it be Liu Xiang, the Chinese hurdling star?

^{(photo courtesy of the BOCCG)}

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Olympic Torch Arrives in Beijing

With 60,000 missing and the death toll hovering around 13,000 after a massive earthquake hit the country, the Olympic torch relay in the Chinese province of Jiangxi today was toned down.  Chinese volunteers waved flags (as seen above) during the simplified ceremony that opened with a minute of silence out of respect for those who lost their lives.

I am saddened by this tragedy and my thoughts are with the people of China during this very difficult time. 

image provided by Newscom

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Chinese Olympic Torch Event Subdued in Wake of Earthquake

The Olympic flame made it to the top of Mount Everest where it was lit!  That is very exciting, especially in light of all of the protests and controversy that have followed it around the world.  A climbing team hiked to the 29,030-ft peak and protected the flame by carrying it in a lantern before lighting the torch.

It is now officially three months to the day before the start of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.  Can you feel the excitement?  My heart is pounding just typing about it!

image provided by Newscom

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Olympic Torch Lit On Top of Mount Everest!

The Olympic torch has arrived on the Chinese mainland after stops on the Chinese island territories of Hong Kong and Macau. The torch will criss-cross the vast country before arriving in Beijing on August 6.

^{(Map: Newscom)}

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Olympic Torch: 100 Days around China

The Olympic Torch hit Chinese soil on Friday, at least that of the territory of Hong Kong. The eight-hour relay was relatively free of protest (as was expected) and criss-crossed the city, using 120 runners, including Hong Kong’s only Olympic golf medal winner, windsurfer Lee Lai-Shan.

Pictured above is the conductor of the Hong Kong Orchestra, Yip Wing-Sie crossing Victoria Harbor with the torch.

^{(photo credit: Newscom)}

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The Olympic Torch in Hong Kong

The Olympic Torch ended the international portion of its relay Tuesday in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Torch will now travel to Hong Kong on Wednesday to begin the 100 days celebration and its relay throughout mainland China.

^{(photo © newscom)}

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The Olympic Torch in Vietnam

While the relay has been marred by anti-China demonstrations as the torch has travelled the world, North Korea, a communist ally of China, has openly criticized the violence and vowed to be free of protests.  The country’s leader, Kim Jong Il, did not attend the festivities but was “paying great interest to the success of the Olympic torch relay.”

Here’s a video about the relay and the plans to take the torch to the top of Mount Everest. 

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Olympic Torch First Ever Relay in North Korea

Sadly, spectators will not be allowed into the opening and closing ceremonies on Saturday in Nagano.  While in the country, the torch will be guarded by up to 4,000 police.  So far, about 2,000 Chinese students from across Japan planned to travel to Nagano, carrying Chinese and Japanese flags and wearing matching T-shirts to show support for the relay.

Here’s a news report:

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Spectators Barred from Olympic Torch Ceremonies in Japan