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OLYMPIC FLAME
The Olympic Flame was first lit at the IX Summer Games in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) in 1928.
The Olympic flame is lit on the territory of the ruins of the temple of the goddess Hera in ancient Olympia in Greece from a parabolic mirror.
The Olympic flame on the torch is passed from athlete to athlete during a multi day symbolic relay race that takes place on all 5 inhabited continents of the Earth.
The fire arrives at the venue of the Olympic Games on the day of their opening.
The finalist of the relay lights the flame of the Olympic bonfire with a torch.
This symbolizes the beginning of the games.
At the end of all competitions, the Olympic bonfire is extinguished, which symbolizes the closing of the games.
The first Olympic Torch Relay from Olympia and the Olympic bonfire lighting ceremony were held at the XI Summer Olympic Games in Berlin (Germany) in 1936.
The flame was lit in Olympia on July 20, 1936, the relay race ended in Berlin on August 1, 1936.
The author and founder of the relay tradition, as well as the author of the idea of lighting the torch in Greece, is Carl Diem, a sports official in Germany and Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the XI Games.
The idea of the relay came to Diem during the preparation for the VI Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, which were canceled due to the First World War.
OLIVE BRANCH
The olive branch is a symbol of peace, truce.
The Olympic Olive branch, or "cotinos", is a branch rolled up in the form of a wreath, which is presented to the winner along with a gold medal.
The tradition of presenting it was revived at the XXVIII Summer Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.
The Olympic salute is a variation of the Roman salute, but with a higher raising of the hand.
This greeting was used at the VIII and XI Summer Olympics in Paris in 1924 and in Berlin in 1936, respectively.
After the end of the Second World War, due to the great similarity with the Nazi salute, it is no longer used, although it is not officially banned.
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