History in the making – the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Torch Relay

IYOGOC Press Release October 07, 2011: 2,012 Torch Bearers, 65 Break Sites and 18 days – the route of the Innsbruck 2012 Youth Olympic Torch Relay, which will travel across the whole of Austria, has now been presented to the public. The Youth Olympic Torch Relay will traverse the country, visiting all of Austria’s nine regional capitals as well as the country’s most famous winter sports resorts. Along its journey the Olympic Flame will be carried by 2,012 inspiring, athletic Torch Bearers – including some well-known personalities and sports stars – who will each run approximately 150 meters holding the Torch.

The Austrian leg of the Torch Relay will start in Innsbruck on 27 December 2011 and will return to the Tyrolean regional capital on 13 January 2012 to light Innsbruck’s third Olympic Cauldron at the
Opening Ceremony of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games. This moment will be a truly unique event in the 116-year history of the modern Olympic Games, as Innsbruck becomes the first host city ever to welcome the Olympic Flame on three separate occasions.

There is another reason why the Tyrolean regional capital and the Olympic Flame enjoy a special relationship: lighting the Olympic Torch using only the sunlight and a concave mirror – today an
Olympic tradition – took its origin in 1964, when the Olympic Flame made its way from its home in the Greek town of Olympia to Innsbruck for the Olympic Winter Games.

On 17 December 2011 the Torch for the Winter Youth Olympic Games will once again be lit in Greece before being transported to Austria.

THE ROUTE
DATE                  START                                 ARRIVAL
Tue, 27. 12.    Innsbruck                           Neustift/Stubaital, Sölden, Ischgl, Jerzens/Pitztal
Wed, 28. 12.   Jerzens/Pitztal                   Bregenz, Lustenau, Klaus, Bludenz, St. Anton am Arlberg
Thu, 29. 12.   St. Anton am Arlberg        Matrei, Lienz, Dellach/Drautal, Millstatt
Fri, 30. 12.     Millstatt                                Klagenfurt, Wolfsberg, Murau, Kapfenberg
Sat, 31. 12.     Kapfenberg                         Semmering, Wr. Neudorf, Vienna
Sun, 1. 1.         Vienna                                  Mönichkirchen
Mon, 2. 1.       Mönichkirchen                 Bad Waltersdorf, Fürstenfeld, Graz
Tue, 3. 1.         Graz                                       Gleisdorf, Oberpullendorf, Eisenstadt
Wed, 4. 1.        Eisenstadt                           Schwechat, Vösendorf, St. Pölten, Waidhofen/Ybbs
Thu, 5. 1.         Waidhofen/Ybbs             Purgstall, Linz, Wels, Hinterstoder
Fri, 6. 1.           Hinterstoder                     Gmunden, Mondsee, Neumarkt/ Wallersee, Salzburg, Hallein, Wals
Sat, 7. 1.          Wals                                      Strobl, Gosau, Filzmoos, Ramsau
Sun, 8. 1.         Ramsau                               Niederöblarn, Haus, Schladming
Mon, 9. 1.       Schladming                       St. Johann/Pongau, Maria Alm, Kirchberg
Tue, 10. 1.      Kirchberg                          Bad Gastein, Zell am See, Seefeld
Wed, 11. 1.     Seefeld                                Kühtai, Fügen, St. Ulrich/Pillersee
Thu, 12. 1.     St. Ulrich                            Ehrwald, Telfs, Zirl, Kufstein
Fri, 13. 1.       Kufstein                              Axams, Mutters, Fulpmes, Lans, Innsbruck