Gemma Beadsworth to carry Olympic Flame

Canberra (January 30).— With just 86 days to go until the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay comes to Australia, ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope today announced Daria Joura, Fiona Wood, Gemma Beadsworth and Professor Fiona Stanley as the Western Australian torchbearers nominated to carry the torch in Canberra on 24 April 2008. The ACT Government invited the Western Australia Government to nominate two worthy Australians to carry the torch on part of its 20 kilometre journey through the national capital. The Australian Olympic Committee also nominated present and past Olympians to participate in the Relay. “I would like to congratulate these eminent Australians on this tremendous accolade, and for the incredible achievements that have lead to their nominations being put forward to the Beijing Olympic Committee,” Mr Stanhope said. Former Australian of the Year Professor Fiona Stanley is the founding Director of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, and a Professor in the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia. Professor Fiona Stanley is an inspiration to all Australians, receiving an Order of Australia for her contribution to improving the health of Indigenous Australians. Gemma Beadsworth is an outstanding achiever, becoming a member of the Australian Water Polo team by the age of 17. Gemma captained Australia at the 2007 FINA Junior World Championships in Porto, Portugal, and is a strong contender to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A total of 80 Torchbearer nominations were received through a range of selection processes, including; •    30 nominations from the ACT Government, encompassing Australians of the Year, Canberra Citizens of the Year, and nominations shared evenly with the eight State and Territory Governments; •    27 nominations from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC); •    five nominations from the Beijing Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG); and •    18 nominations from the three major event sponsors. The theme for the Olympic Torch Relay is Journey of Harmony. The international route, inspired by the ancient Silk Road Trade Route, will be the longest Torch Relay in Olympic history. 21,880 runners will take 130 days to carry the torch 137,000km through six continents. Olympia, Greece will be the starting point for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay on 30 March on its journey to the opening ceremony of the main Olympic stadium in Beijing on 8 August 2008. Other destinations on the Torch’s journey include London, Paris, San Francisco, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Nagano.  Mr Stanhope said as Australia’s national capital and the sister city of Beijing, Canberra was proud and excited at having been given the privilege of hosting the Torch Relay for the nation. “The Beijing Olympic Torch Relay provides us with a tremendous opportunity to showcase the beauty of Australia, and particularly our national capital, to a worldwide audience,' Mr Stanhope said. For more information on the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay visit www.events.act.gov.au

 

< Prev		Next >