The eyes of the world were on them and they delivered in style. Greek gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias was the first to carry the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch after the flame was lit in the traditional ceremony in Olympia, Greece, on Thursday (21 April). The rings world champion said he nearly crashed his car when he was told he would fulfil the historic role, but he did not falter when the big moment arrived.

Petrounias jogged with the innovatively designed torch to the monument to Pierre de Courbertin, the founder of the modern Games, where he handed it over to Brazilian volleyball legend Giovane Gávio, an Olympic gold medallist at Barcelona 1992 and Athens 2004. An emotional Gávio, now the volleyball manager at Rio 2016, said that during the rehearsal the “film of his life” had passed before his eyes, and vowed to saviour every moment, saying he would run rather than walk. On Thursday, Gávio was true to his word, setting off on his 250m stretch at a leisurely pace.

“I feel really emotional, it's even difficult to speak... it was as though time stopped”

Giovane Gávio, first Brazilian torchbearer

“I'm a representative of all Brazilians,” Gávio said. “I want to inspire all Brazilians to take part in the Games, which will be fantastic. Sport is not just about winning medals, it can transform lives. Especially with the situation in our country at the moment, we need to rescue our unity. We are all Brazilians.”

Find out all about the relay and torch design

@giovanegavio receives the #OlympicTorch and it starts its #RoadtoRio2016 journey (Photo: André Luis Melo/Rio2016) pic.twitter.com/cGvkl652ha

— Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) 21 de abril de 2016

A personal message from the first torchbearer @Petrounias_E. #OlympicFlame pic.twitter.com/NJZa9UhNpw

— Olympic Flame (@OlympicFlame) 21 de abril de 2016

The torch will be carried around Greece for seven days, including a visit to the Eleonas refugee camp in Athens, where a Syrian refugee will carry the torch in the name of all refugees. The Olympic torch will be formally handed over to Brazil at a ceremony next Wednesday (27 April) at the Panathinaiko Stadium in the Greek capital, before visiting Geneva, Switzerland, for a ceremony at the United Nations. It will then go on display at the nearby Olympic Museum in Lausanne, home of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Brazilian section of the relay will begin on 3 May in capital city Brasília. About 12,000 torch bearers will take part as the relay passes through more than 300 towns and cities during a 95-day tour that will culminate at the opening ceremony at the Maracanã stadium, when the flame is used to light the Olympic cauldron.

Olympic Torch Relay to showcase diverse beauty of Brazil

Petrounias receives the Olympic flame, above, and passes it on to Gávio, below (Photos: Rio 2016/André Luiz Mello)