NYC Relays the Olympic Torch

With many major thoroughfares closed down on Saturday, as the Olympic torch wound through the city, Gothamist felt a bit of city pride. To us, the torch relay represented all the great things about the Olympics (the tradition, the ideal of sportsmanship, the world coming together) and left the bad associations (doping scandals, IOC bribery, the corporate machine), with a mix of well-known and regular (yet still extraordinary) New Yorkers running through the streets of the city. See photographs of some of the torchbearers from Yahoo News, and notice how while on the Staten Island Ferry, the torch went out (not to worry - there is more Olympic flame on hand for such emergencies). Other favorite pictures: The torch over the Brooklyn Bridge (1, 2) and Chuck Close carrying it (photo left).

The NYC.gov site has photos of torchbearers around the five boroughs (unfortunately, they are not captioned) as well as the Olympic Truce Ceremony at the U.N.. There are also photos of the Times Square event, including a torch-bearing Nadia Comaneci being lowered into Times Square by wires, which is sort of weird, but Gothamist supposes if you have a torch relay ending in Times Square, it's gotta be a little crazy. seek the depths has some photos as well.

Check out the official Athens 2004 page on the torch. Gothamist on torchbearers and related, Brian Hatch, of NewYorkGames.org, had an opinion piece in the Times yesterday about how NYC should go about bidding for the 2012 Olympics.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on June 21, 2004 2:07 PM

Comments [rss]

Michelle

Well I scored with a Samsung t-shirt with the logo on the front, and the slogan "Share the Experience" on the back (i.e. unwearable), and a nylon flag. Some people got noisemakers. But nothing heartstopping (although no matter how ugly, I'll never turn down a free shirt!)

Jen

That's hilarious. What kind of free stuff did you get?

Michelle

I waited for about an hour and a half in front of the Met Saturday evening, with organizers promising the torch would be flaming by us "at any second." Cut to: The torch apparently got "held up in the Bronx" (I believe I was the only one that snickered) and wouldn't be there until 8 o'clock. I scowled, picked up my free merchanidise, and fled. Did I really miss out?