The Hindu : Sport / World View : Cuthbert carries Olympic torch into MCG

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

Sport

Sport - World View

Cuthbert carries Olympic torch into MCG

MELBOURNE: Betty Cuthbert carried the Olympic flame into the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday as the torch visited a second former Games venue on its international relay.

Cuthbert collected three gold medals at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, winning the 100 and 200m sprints and the 4x100 relay at the MCG.

Cuthbert, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1979 and is confined to a wheelchair, and Herb Elliott, 1,500 champion at the 1960 Olympics, were among the torchbearers when the relay entered the MCG at halftime in an Australian Football League match.

Earlier on Saturday, the torch was paraded through Lonsdale Street, the major Greek precinct of downtown Melbourne.

Aerial skier Lydia Ierodiaconou was the first of the torchbearers in Melbourne, home to the biggest population of Greeks outside of Greece.

``We are all dreaming of Greece at this moment,'' said Emmanuel Velonakis, who came to Australia from the Greek island of Crete 41 years ago. ``Not many of us can go home to see the Olympic Games, so this is a wonderful day for every Greek person in Melbourne.''

The torch relay returns to Greece on July 9 for the second half of its domestic relay before the start of the August 13 to 29 Olympic Games. — AP

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport