The Olympic flame was rekindled yesterday from the rays of the sun in a ceremony on Mount Olympus. The torch will now be carried in relays around Greece before being flown to London where it begins a 70-day tour around the UK which is hosting the 2012 Games. It can be expected that journalists and cartoonists will have a lot of fun as the Olympic flame is carried around Greece - lighting the way through the ruins of the Greek economy and possibly igniting the blue touch paper for an explosion of fireworks as Greece is forced out of the eurozone. The modern Olympics are an extraordinary achievement which, though never far from controversy, capture the enthusiasm and attention of billions of TV viewers around the world. More people are likely to watch together the finals of major events, along with the opening and closing ceremonies, than have seen any of Hollywood's top-grossing blockbusters in the entire period since their release. True to form, the British are moaning about the likely £12 billion cost of staging the games, as if that money has been piled up and burnt. The reality of course is that mounting the event has given much-needed economic stimulus to the largely UK companies that have been building and equipping the stadia, athletes villages and associated infrastructure. These games will certainly not be as spectacular as the remarkable 2008 Beijing Olympics. It has been argued indeed that it is most unlikely that the extraordinary pizzazz of the Chinese games will ever be matched again. Nevertheless, for Europe and North America, they will offer a welcome diversion from a continuing tale of austerity and economic woes. For prospering Asia and Latin America, there is another chance to show that with their newly found prosperity comes growing sporting prowess. Here in the Kingdom, we will as usual delight in the enthralling spectacle of the world's very finest athletes matching their skills, courage and strength. This in the end, when all the razzamatazz is put aside, is what it is all about - the world in its billions watching a few thousand contestants. We will, of course, be paying particular attention to the progress of the Saudi equestrian team, which according to many experts is in with a very strong medal chance. It was, of course, regrettable that attempts were made to ban Saudi participation in the Games, on the grounds that our team had no female members. Even now there are still mutterings against Saudi athletes taking part. Common sense, however, has prevailed. Women were not excluded from the Saudi team. None was included, simply because no female athletes were of Olympic standard. In four years time, the situation may be very different. The Olympics has always been at its best when politics has not been allowed to interfere with the sport. For many athletes those few short days this July and August will be the culmination of a lifetime's training and ambition. The outcome of all that dedicated preparation is what really matters and is why for a fortnight we shall all be glued to our screens. __
