A monumental flame

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Buenos Aires, August 7. The light blue sky blended with the colours of the Argentine flag and the heat from the youth Olympic flame. In an unforgettable image on the Buenos Aires 2018 Torch Tour, the torch stopped by a symbolic spot steeped in Argentine history.

The flame visited the National Historic Flag Monument in Rosario, the place where Manuel Belgrano - considered to be one of the country’s founders - raised the Argentine flag for the first time.

Nine athletes participated in the symbolic relay in the city where Luciana Aymer, the best women’s field hockey player of all time and an ambassador to Buenos Aires 2018, was born.

Among them were, Federico Grabich, Pan American swimming champion with Olympic appearances at London 2012 and Rio 2016; Nicolás Córdoba, an Olympic gymnast; sisters Etel and Sofía Sánchez, Olympic representatives in synchronised swimming; Joana Palacios, a weightlifter at Rio 2016, and Juan Pablo Estellés, a rugby player on the men’s rugby sevens team that won an Olympic diploma at Rio 2016.

Three Paralympic athletes also participated in the journey: Yanina Martínez, a Paralympic champion at Rio 2016 in the 100m event in the T36 category, and swimmers Fernando Carlomagno and Anabel Moro, both with Paralympic Games appearances.

The symbolic relay started in front of the monument in the hands of the three Paralympic athletes. Yani Martínez was in charge of passing the torch over to Estellés at the foot of the National Historic Flag Monument. Already waiting on the steps, Palacios took the torch and later gave it to the Sánchez sisters.

"It’s an honour to have carried the torch. It’s also an honour that they’ve chosen me to represent the city of Rosario. To carry the Olympic flame in my hands alongside my sister Sofia was special", said Etel, one of the Argentine synchronised swimming twins.

The next one to carry the torch was Nicolás Córdoba, who brought it to Fede Grabich, the last relay runner. Together, in front of the eternal flame for the Unknown Soldier – a space to honour unidentified soldiers who died in war – completed the symbolic trip with the Buenos Aires 2018 youth Olympic flame.

"This flame represents the first Olympic Games in our country. It's historic", said Federico Grabich.

"I was really moved by what just happened. To be part of this symbolic relay was incredible", said Córdoba, the Argentine gymnast who competed at Rio 2016.

Before saying goodbye to the torch, Grabich, Córdoba y Etel Sánchez climbed the monument’s 70-metre high lookout point to light up all of Rosario with the monumental flame.

For photos you can enter in the flickr Buenos Aires 2018.

For videos in Buenos Aires 2018 YouTube channel

More information in www.buenosaires2018.com

Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee

prensa@buenosaires2018.com

About the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 Torch Tour, presented by Toyota and Río Uruguay Seguros

The Buenos Aires 2018 youth Olympic flame was lit on July 24 at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece. Under the slogan #UnitedByTheFlame, the Torch Tour will cover 14,000 kilometres in two months, carrying Olympism’s message to every corner of Argentina. During its journey there will be relays in 17 cities. It will also highlight various iconic geographical sites in Argentina such as Iguazu Falls and the Perito Moreno Glacier. Its trip will finish on October 6 in the first Olympic opening ceremony outside of tradition stadiums and open to all public in front of the Obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires.

About the Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international, multi-sport event for young athletes aged 15-18 with an educative and cultural nature that aims to foster the Olympic values in youth.

The event, which takes place every four years (in its two versions, winter and summer, that alternate every two years), is promoted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games will be held from October 6 -18 with the participation of 4012 athletes from 206 countries.

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