The 2016 Olympics Torch Relay in Europe’s Greece and Switzerland

The 2016 Olympics Torch arrived in Brazil on the 3rd of May. Before arriving in Brazil, the Olympics flame made 30 stops in Europe. It was lit in Greece and made a stint stop in Switzerland. This was Just before travelling to Brazil

The Olympia where the 2016 Olympics Torch started its Journey on 21st of April

This picture is from Wikipedia

The 2016 Olympics Torch relay will only visit 2 continents and 3 countries, though it travel and estimated 12,000 kilometers. These three continents are Europe and South America, while the three countries are 2016 Summer Olympics host nation: Brazil, the Olympics Torch origin; Greece and Olympics and UN offices in Switzerland. By the 3rd of May it had finished it European tour, had started its journey in Greece, where the Olympics Torch traveled for 2,235kilometers and was carried by about 450 people.

Let’s start from the beginning. Like the olden days Olympics, the 2016 Olympics Torch was lit ruins of the Ancient Olympia on the 21st of April 2016 12.00 PM, Olympia is considered the birthplace of Olympics Games. In Greece the torch visited a total of 28 locations ending its journey in Athens where it stayed from 26th to 28th of April when it travelled to Switzerland’s Lausanne; the International Olympics Committee headquarters. On the its final day in the European Continent the Torch went to Geneva’s UN offices before taking its journey across Atlantic Ocean to the 2016 Olympics Summer Olympics host nation; Brazil.

After its lighting it travelled west of Greece to the City of Pyrgos and Emmanouil Karalis: the pole vault junior world record holder had the honor of lighting the city’s cauldron amid cheering crowd made mostly of Students. 2003 world champion in 400 meters hurdles; Pericles Lakovakis too had the honor of holding the torch at Lechaina before the Olympics flame took a Ferry trip to the Zakynthos; some Ionian island with Magda Gazea; A Greek marathon runner for the 2016 Summer Olympics lighting the port's cauldron located at the towns central square. From Patras port, several 2016 Olympics bound athletes including Nora Drakou; who will take part in swimming and Sophia Riga; yet another Marathon runner were among the torch bearers.

Other Greece athletes had a chance of holding the torch includes Korina Politi; a 200 meters athletes when it visited the Greece islands of Lefkada and Messolonghi.

In its European trip, the Olympics Flame was honored by several prominent people including Ban Kimoon; UN Secretary General and International Olympics Committee President; President Thomas Bach with each torch bearer conveying the message of peace. The torch lit the lives of 450 people who carried had the honor of carrying it including Syrian Civil war survivor; Ibrahim Al-Hussein who carried the torch at the Eleonas Refugee camp on 26th of April honoring the all Syrians and Arabs who have undergone so much. Despite losing his right leg, Ibrahim Al-Hussein will take part in 2016 Summer Paralympics Swimming as a refugee, a fact that was emphasized by UN Secretary General; Ban Kimoon.

On the 27th of April, the flame was handed by Greeks to the Brazilian Olympics Organizers. This handing over took place at the Panathinaic stadium, located in Athens Central Square and for a short stint in Switzerland’s cities of Lausanne and Geneva, it took its journey to Brazil’s where it will visit 329 cities for the remaining days before the 2016 Summer Olympics Games start at the Rio de Janeiros’s Maracana Stadium at the Opening Ceremony on the 5th of August.

Below is the table with all the details of the cities and towns that had the honor of hosting the 2016 Olympics Torch.

APRIL 2016 OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY IN EUROPE (GREECE AND SWITZERLAND)
Day	Date	Torch Location
1	21st of April	The 2016 Olympics Flame is lit in Olympia; Greece
		1. Olympia
		2. Pyrgos
		3. I Amaliada
		4. Lechaina
		5. Zakynthos
2	22nd of April	5. Zakynthos
		6. Patras
		7. Rio-Antirrio Bridge
		8. Missolonghi
		9. Astakos
		10. Lefkada
		11. Nicopolis
		12. Preveza
3	23rd of April	13.  Igoumenitsa
		14. Corfu
		15.  Ioannina
		16. Veria
		17. Thessaloniki
4	24th of April	17. Thessaloniki
		18. Serres
		19.Drama
		20.Kavala
		21. Alexandroupoli
5	25th of April	21. Alexandroupoli
		22.  Komotini
		23. Xanthi
		24. Katerini
		25.  Larissa
6	26th of April	25.  Larissa
		26. Chalcis
		27.  Marathon
		28.  Athens
7	27th of April	28.  Athens
8	28th of April	28.  Athens
Switzerland
8	28th of April	29.  Lausanne
		29.  Lausanne
		30.  Geneva