Slam Sports
Prince Felipe lights Olympic cauldron
By MAR ROMAN
MADRID (AP) - Crown Prince Felipe completed the torch relay through the streets of Madrid on Sunday by lighting an Olympic cauldron in one of the capital's most symbolic squares.
The mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon passed the flame to Prince Felipe, who was part of the Spanish Olympic sailing team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Hundreds of people waited at the Puerta de Alcala to catch a glimpse of the lighting and cheer the 30 athletes, sports celebrities and ordinary people who carried the torch in a festive atmosphere.
The torch made its way to Barcelona, the host city of the 1992 Summer Olympics, where torchbearers included five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain and tennis players Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez.
The torch is on its way to Greece for the Aug. 13 start of the Summer Olympics.
The three-hour stop in Madrid was staged after the city asked the International Olympic Committee to be considered for the relay in order to promote its 2012 Olympic bid.
The flame - carried in a small lantern - arrived early Sunday from London. It was taken in the subway to Madrid's business and financial centre, where Spain's water polo star and former Olympic gold-medallist Manuel Estiarte carried the flame through the capital under a blistering sun with temperatures reaching 30 C.
"It has been thrilling and a real honour for me to carry the torch," Estiarte said after passing the flame to swimmer Nina Jivanevskaia, who won bronze at the 2002 Sydney Games.
The symbolic torch passed Madrid's old quarter, the main Puerta del Sol square and the city's biggest park where hundreds lined the route to watch the torch pass and to attend a free concert featuring some the country's top flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia and dancer Sara Baras.
In the last kilometres, two university students participated in memory of their deceased friends and other victims of the March 11 train bombings that killed 190 people and wounded more than 2,000 in the capital.
Spain's Prince Felipe laughs with Princess Letizia after he lit a cauldron with the torch Sunday. (AP/Denis Doyle)
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She does look great in red, and the outfit is very sleek and flattering. Another winner for Leti! :flower:
