Runners carry Olympic torch through Rome

(29 Jun 2004) 1. Wide shot of Olympic airplane, named "Zeus" arriving at Fiumicino airport, Rome 2. Police waiting for torch 3. Writing on airplane reading: "Pass the flame, unite the world" 4. Spiros Lambridis, ATHOC (Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organising Committee) Ambassador, walking down stairs from airplane carrying Olympic flame 5. Various of Greek ambassador in Italy Anastassis Mistialis welcoming the flame 6. Flame-guardians 7. Close up of Olympic flame 8. Journalist interviewing Cathy Freeman, Australian 400 metre runner, Gold Medallist at Sydney Olympic Games 2000 and last torch-bearer at Sydney's Olympic Games 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Cathy Freeman, Olympic Gold Medallist: "Carrying the flame unites the world, I am extremely proud and as I'm sure everybody who is carrying the torch is, so there is a lot of pride and happiness in promoting world peace. It is a wonderful historical event we are part of." 10. Stadio dei Marmi 11. Flags 12. Spectators 13. Raffaele Pagnozzi, first torch-bearer in Rome, Chief of Italian Olympic mission 14. Pagnozzi running with torch 15. Costantine arch 16. Ilario di Buo, Italian athlete silver medal winner for archery at Sydney Olympic games, running through Costantine arch 17. Colosseum 18. Ilario di Buo running across Colosseum surrounded by crowd 19. Ilario di Buo lighting Emanula Pierantozzi's (Judo Silver medal at Barcelona 1992 games and bronze in Sydney) torch 20. St. Peter Basilica, with Piero Pellegrino (not athlete) 21. Torch-bearer running in front St. Peter Basilica 22. Torch bearer running and greeting crowd STORYLINE: A relay of dozens of people carried the Olympic torch past many of Rome's most famous sites on Monday, meeting cheering crowds from the Colosseum to the Trevi Fountain to the Spanish Steps. When an Olympic archer jogged the torch past the Colosseum, where gladiators once fought bloody battles, excited fans waved little red flags that read, "I saw the flame." Top archer Ilario Di Buo said the feeling was "indescribable" after handing over the torch to the next person in the relay. The flame began its 48-kilometre (30-mile) relay at the Stadium of Marbles, a Fascist-built running track surrounded by 60 towering pseudo-classical statues of athletes. Later it passed the Colosseum, the Forum, which was the political and commercial centre of ancient Rome, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Olympic 400-metre champion Cathy Freeman of Australia, who took the flame on its first leg in Sydney and has accompanied it on several stops said she was "extremely proud and as I'm sure everybody who is carrying the torch is". Around sunset, an eight-person boat was rowing the torch along a stretch of the River Tiber. The last stop was the park of Villa Borghese for the lighting of a ceremonial cauldron. Celebrations there were set to include sports displays and a play. Among the other Italian torchbearers were Alessandra Sensini, who won an Olympic gold for windsurfing at Sydney 2000, and two-time Olympic rowing gold-medalist Davide Tizzano. The torch began its journey on March 25 in the games' ancient birthplace at Olympia, Greece. It will return to Greece July 9 to make its way to Athens for the start of the games on August 13. During this year's relay, the torch has visited Africa and South America for the first time, passing through all five continents represented by the Olympic rings. It is also the first time the torch, carried by a total of around 11,000 torchbearers, visits all the cities to host the summer Olympics. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...