London Olympic Announces First Torchbearer for Olympic Torch Relay

London 2012 Announces First Torchbearer for Olympic Torch Relay

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has confirmed that the first Torchbearer for the Olympic Torch Relay - presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung - will be three-times Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie CBE.

(PRWEB) May 12, 2012

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has confirmed that the first Torchbearer for the Olympic Torch Relay - presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung - will be three-times Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie CBE.

Ben will start the 70-day Relay at the Land’s End Landmark signpost at 7.08am on 19 May. He grew up in Cornwall and won Gold medals in Sailing at the Beijing, Athens and Sydney Olympic Games. He also won a Silver medal at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

Ben Ainslie said: “I am extremely honoured to be the first Torchbearer at the start the 70-day Olympic Torch Relay. It will be an amazing experience to be able to carry the Olympic Flame in the area that I grew up in.

“I also want to congratulate the thousands of other inspirational people who will carry the Torch this summer and bring the excitement of the Games to streets throughout the UK.”

Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: “Ben is the perfect person to start the Relay in Land’s End as he grew up in the area and is an inspirational sportsman who has worked hard to achieve his goals.

“He will kick off what will be an amazing celebration of people and places from all over the UK in the run up to the Olympics Games this Summer.”

Ben is one of 8,000 Torchbearers who will carry the Olympic Flame during the Relay. At Land’s End he will pass the Flame to 18-year-old Anastassia Swallow, a Torchbearer from the Coca-Cola nomination campaign. Anastassia is the youngest Sports Ambassador for Cornwall and has represented Great Britain four times internationally as a member of the Junior British Surf Team.

The other Torchbearers at Land’s End will be: Eric Smith, 76, who was nominated through the LOCOG campaign, Victoria Smith, 16, who was nominated through the Lloyds TSB campaign and Stephen Brady, 59, who was nominated through the Samsung campaign.

On leaving Land’s End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles around the UK giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympic Flame comes to a place near them.

Notes to editors

For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office.

For more information on the streets through which Torchbearers will carry the London 2012 Olympic Flame, go tohttp://www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay

About the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Presenting Partners:

As the longest standing Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola will be using its heritage and experience to spread excitement across the UK ahead of London 2012. Coca-Cola's national nomination campaign - Future Flames – has focused on finding inspirational young people from across the country to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. This summer Coca-Cola will celebrate these Future Flames: young people who use their passions in areas like sport and physical activity, music and dance, and community and the environment; to spread happiness in their local communities.

As the only National Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Lloyds TSB will be taking the spirit and inspiration of the Olympic Flame right to the heart of communities across the UK. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of Scotland will be the National Presenting Partner in Scotland. Schools can be right at the heart of the celebrations through our Flame Followers programme, giving them access to free resources to get their pupils inspired and excited about the Olympic Torch Relay. Customers can be the first to hear how they can follow the Olympic Flame, through our customer-exclusive programme Trackside.

As a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung aims to encourage everyone to be part of the Olympic Torch Relay to make London 2012 ‘Everyone’s Olympic Games.’ We aspire to offer new and memorable experiences for everyone around the world. Samsung is providing 1,360 Torchbearers, who have “gone the extra mile” by contributing to the local communities, through its worldwide public nomination campaign. Samsung will support towns and cities to celebrate the exciting moment of the Torch Relay and help showcase Great Britain’s cultural landmarks to provide a more enjoyable experience to everyone. The evening celebrations that will be staged in 66 towns and cities throughout the Olympic Flame’s journey across the UK, will allow Samsung to entertain the community they are visiting. The Samsung caravan, complete with LED screen on the side showcasing runners and goodwill messages, will travel with Torchbearers around the UK cheering up everyone to celebrate the Torch Relay with music and interaction with local communities. It is Samsung’s ambition that London 2012 will be an event that reaches and involves more people than on any other Olympic Games occasion.

The Supporters of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay are:
Worldwide Olympic Partners Procter and Gamble and Visa, Tier One Partners adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT and EDF, Tier Three Providers Aggreko, Holiday Inn and NATURE VALLEY.

London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow Chemical Company, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS.

There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.

There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and one domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Supplier, Otto Bock. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.