RELAY PATH TAKES OLYMPIC TORCH ON LANDMARK TOUR IN S.F., CAPITAL.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Runners trotted across the Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge, across the Golden Gate from San Francisco to Marin Co., W Calif.; built 1933–37. Its overall length is 9,266 ft (2,824 m); its main span across the strait, 4,200 ft (1,280 m), is one of the longest bridges in the world. Joseph B. early Saturday morning and then on to Sacramento, carrying the Olympic flame The Olympic Flame, Olympic Fire, Olympic Torch, Olympic Light, Olympic Eye, and Olympic Sun is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, when a fire as it continued its journey through California. The West Coast relay continued in Sacramento in the afternoon and will travel north into Oregon today. Crowds gathered at the south and north entrances of the bridge to cheer on the runners. No pedestrians were allowed on the bridge during their run. Thousands of people throughout California took part in the Olympic flame relay. The run is part of an 84-day, 15,000-mile journey across the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. that started in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. on April 27 and will culminate at the Summer Games This article is about the Epyx video game series. For the international multi-sport event, see Summer Olympic Games. Summer Games is a sports video game developed by Epyx and released by U.S. Gold based on sports featured in the Summer Olympic Games. on July 19. The torch run got a San Francisco feel Saturday as the flame went to key tourist spots, including Chinatown and on a cable car at Union Square. The city's run culminated with a fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to display and a rally attended by about 5,000 people at Justin Herman Plaza, where a giant torch was lit. The runners included Olympic gold medalist Xu Haik, Olympic champion ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi and Edith McGuire Duval, who won a gold medal and two silver medals in track at the 1964 Olympics. ``I'm proud to have this opportunity to carry the torch,'' said Duval, 51, of Oakland, who said she used a treadmill to get in shape for the relay. The ranks of the torchbearers included ``community heroes'' selected for representing the Olympic spirit. ``I think everybody in the country, the world, has to respect the flame and what it stands for,'' said Gloria Spanier, who volunteers 20 hours a week with the elderly and the disabled. ``It stands for life, knowledge and spirit.'' Gil Duncan, a retired salesman, said he didn't mind standing around in the sun for a couple of hours just to see a woman run by holding a fiery stick. ``The Olympics are about the only thing people all over the world do together that's positive. Usually we're all hitting each other over the head,'' Duncan said. In Sacramento, runners crossed yet another bridge - this time, the I Street Bridge over the Sacramento River. Craig Wilson of Davis and James Bagley of Fair Oaks exchanged the torch in front of the state Capitol. Several other local runners carried the torch, including Pam Courtney, a paraplegic paraplegic /para·ple·gic/ (-ple´jik) 1. pertaining to or of the nature of paraplegia. 2. an individual with paraplegia. and physical education teacher who wheeled the torch part of the way through Sacramento. The 35-year-old Courtney, who lost her legs in a car crash 12 years ago, was accompanied by her father, Gerry Courtney, and her dog, Buck, who sat in her lap, alongside the torch. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Francisco Cruz bears the Olympic flame on the Golden Gate Bridge. Associated Press |
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