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1/29/08 - Today, joined by the United States National synchronized swimming team and United States Olympic Committee Vice President Bob Ctvrtlik, Mayor Gavin Newsom invited all North Americans to submit an application to become a torchbearer for the San Francisco leg of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay. Online applications are currently being accepted through the website www.sustainablejourney.org.
"I am thrilled to be able to showcase the best of San Francisco," said Mayor Newsom. "When the Olympic Torch Relay passes through our city, the world will see not only the iconic images of the Golden Gate Bridge and Coit Tower, they will experience the spirit of innovation that is leading the nation and the world on a journey toward sustainability."
An application to become a torchbearer can be obtained and submitted online at www.sustainablejourney.org. All applications must be received by February 3. Submissions will be reviewed by an esteemed panel of Bay Area leaders, and a list of nominations will be forwarded to the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee (BOCOG) for final selection.
"As the only North American stop on the worldwide Olympic Torch Relay, San Francisco is demonstrating its dedication to the values of Olympism and to the promotion of Olympic sport," Ctvrtlik said. "Through our partnership with the City of San Francisco, we are encouraged by the support we have already seen from the Bay Area, and we are certain that April 9 will be a celebration of one of the most significant sporting events of our time."
Predicted by many to win a medal in Beijing this summer, the United States national synchronized swimming team led by head coach Tammy McGregor has made San Francisco an integral part of their Olympic journey. The team trains three days a week at Martin Luther King Jr. pool, a Department of Recreation and Parks facility located in the Bayview neighborhood.
"We want to thank the City of San Francisco for making it possible to train here," said team Co-Captains Kim Probst and Kate Hooven. "This opportunity allows us to continue to follow our dreams. Many of us originally hail from the Bay Area so it is enjoyable for us to train so close to home."
The 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, sponsored by the Coca Cola Company, Samsung and Lenovo, will begin with the lighting of the Flame in Olympia, Greece on March 24. After its arrival in Beijing on March 31, the torch will arrive in San Francisco on April 9 before returning to mainland China where it will traverse the country for more than three months. The Flame will enter the Olympic Stadium as part of the Opening Ceremony of the XXIX Olympiad on August 8, 2008.
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