As Official Olympic Broadcaster for Beijing 2008, Eurosport will cover the Torch lighting ceremony LIVE, on 24 March at 11:00 - 12:00 CET.

This heralds the start of the Torch Relay, which will see the Olympic flame carried to Beijing for the opening of the Games on 8 August.

Traditionally, the torch lighting ceremony is held at the Temple of Hera of Ancient Olympia in Greece. Alexandro Nikolaidis, 2004 Olympic silver medallist in Taekwondo, will accept the torch from High Priestess, Maria Nafpliotou, and will be the first torchbearer of a relay that will last more than 4 months, and travel across the 5 continents represented by the 5 Olympic rings.

Key dates

• 30 March: after a seven-day relay in Greece, the flame will arrive at the Panathenian Stadium in Athens, where it will be ceremoniously passed to the Beijing Olympic Committee.
• In Europe, the Olympic Torch Relay will also pass through Almaty (2 April), Istanbul (3 April), St Petersburg (5 April), London (6 April) and Paris (7 April).
• One of the highlights of the relay will be in June when the torch reaches the peak of Mt. Qomolangma (Everest), at 8,300m above sea level.
• On 8 August, Beijing will welcome the arrival of the Flame for the inauguration of the XXIX Olympic Summer Games. It will be the start of the greatest event of the year, covered 24/7 on Eurosport and LIVE from the first event at around 03:00 to the last at around 18:00.

Eurosport's coverage of the Olympic Torch Relay

• Wednesday 2 April - Monday 7 April
  Daily 3-minute programme at 18:00, dedicated to the European stops of the relay.
  
• Wednesday 16 April - Wednesday 25 June
  Weekly 3-minute round-up on Wednesdays, at 18:00, featuring highlights from the path of the Flame from the previous week. In June (date to be announced), Eurosport will also cover the spectacular arrival of the torch at the peak of Mt. Qomolangma, in a 30-minute LIVE programme
  
• Monday 30 June - Friday 1 August
  5-minute daily programme, broadcast from Monday to Friday at 18:00
  
• Monday 4 August - Thursday 7 August
  Daily 5-minute programme at 18:00.