The Olympic Torch

Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou, in front, playing the role of a high priestess, lights the Olympic flame near the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, March 25, 2004. The torch was lit by the sun's rays using a concave mirror.

A Greek actress playing the role of a priestess releases a dove after the lighting of the Olympic flame near the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, March 25, 2004.

Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou, right, gives the Olympic flame to Anna Skoulikidou after lighting it near the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, March 25, 2004. The flame will burn at the Aug. 13-29, 2004 Athens Games.

Greek actress Thalia Prokopiou, second right, walks with the Olympic torch raised after giving the flame to another priestess, who carries it to the ancient stadium in Olympia, March 25, 2004.

Greek javelin champion Costas Gatzioudis runs with the Olympic torch inside the stadium of Ancient Olympia, March 25, 2004.

Greek javelin champion Costas Gatzioudis, left, passes the Olympic flame to Russian Olympic swimming champion Alexander Popov in Ancient Olympia, March 25, 2004. Gatzioudis was the first torch bearer in the relay for the Athens Games. More than 11,000 torchbearers will carry the flame across Greece and around the world.

Ukranian pole vault legend Sergey Bubka, second right, is joined by members of the torch relay team near the Olympic flame at an altar in ancient Ilida, Greece, March 25, 2004. Ilida is near ancient Olympia, whose residents are thought to have founded the first Olympics in 776 B.C.

Olympic silver medalist Katerina Thanou, of Greece, runs with the Olympic flame toward the Panathenian Marble stadium in Athens, March 31, 2004. The flame for the Athens Games arrived in the host city amid Olympic-level security, as its global journey was set to begin.

Members of the presidential guard, known as Evzones, stand around the cauldron where the Olympic flame burns outside the all-marble Panathenian stadium in Athens, March 31, 2004. More than 11,000 torchbearers will carry the flame in Greece and around the world.

Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, head of the Athens 2004 Olympic Organizing committee, left, and Lambis Nikolaou, head of the Greek Olympic Committee, light the cauldron outside the Panathenian Marble stadium in Athens, March 31, 2004.

Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou lights an elevated cauldron with the Olympic flame at the all marble Panathenian stadium, March 31, 2004.

Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou stands after lighting an elevated cauldron with the Olympic flame at the Panathenian stadium, which hosted the 1896 Olympics, in Athens, March 31, 2004.