IOC President Thomas Bach invites Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to participate in Olympic flame lighting ceremony
Rousseff responds enthusiastically to invitation to traditional ceremony in Greece that will precede Rio 2016 Olympic torch relay
IOC President Thomas Bach met Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in Brasília (Roberto Stuckert Filho/PR)
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has invited Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to take part in the Olympic flame lighting ceremony in the Greek city of Olympia ahead of the Rio 2016 Games.
Bach made the invitation during a meeting with Rousseff at the Palácio do Planalto, the Brazilian President’s office in the capital city Brasília, on Tuesday afternoon (24 February).
The Brazilian President responded enthusiastically to the invitation and Bach said: “I hope I can welcome her there.”
After the ceremony in Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, the flame will arrive in Brazil between 90 and 100 days before the Rio 2016 Games begin. The Olympic torch relay will then pass through every Brazilian state, taking the spirit of the Games to all parts of the country.
The torch will be carried 20,000km by 10,000 torchbearers before arriving at the Maracanã Stadium for the opening ceremony on 5 August 2016.
Bach is in Brazil for the IOC Executive Board meeting, which will take place in Rio on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (February 26-28).
