By Ken Hunt
The Olympic torch blazed inside the Olympic Oval on Tuesday morning for the first time since Calgary hosted the Olympics in 1988, in front of throngs of eager Canadians. Some 6,000 attendees chose to take advantage of the unique opportunity to watch torchbearers and Olympic speedskaters Susan Auch and Kyle Yoshida each skate two slow laps around the oval with the torch in hand.
The ceremony began with a resounding “Good morning Canadians!” from four-time gold medalist Catriona Le May Doan, who went on to highlight the meaning of the Olympic flame as a symbol of peace and sportsmanship that unites individuals all across Canada. After a brief video montage of notable Olympic moments and torch relay footage, Auch and Yoshida made their rounds followed by the Canadian Olympic speed skating team. Current U of C students Lucas Makowsky, Jeremy Wotherspoon, Denny Morrison and Brittany Schussler were chosen to be a part of the team. 2006 silver medal winner and U of C grad Kristina Groves was also named to the team.
The U of C is the only university in the world with an Olympic facility on campus.