Winter Olympics torch relay

THE BEGINNING: Greek actress Maria Nafpliotou, playing the role of high priestess, lights a torch during a handover ceremony at Panathenian stadium in Athens.

ALL DOWNHILL: Tyler McRae snowboards with the Olympic Torch during the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch run at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta.

OLYMPIC RALLY: Vicky Sunohara, Olympic gold medallist as a member of Canada's national women's hockey team, uses her Vancouver Olympic Torch to ignite a flame at a rally at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto.

BLADES OF GLORY: Canadian Olympic speed skater Susan Auch skates with the Olympic torch down the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta.

EIGHT WORK AS ONE: Members of the Canadian men's eights rowing team carry the Olympic Torch in Saanich, British Columbia.

HALL OF FAMER: Olympic torch bearer Doreen Ryan lights the cauldron at the end of the Edmonton leg of the Olympic torch relay. Ryan is the first woman to be inducted into the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame for her accomplishments in speed skating.

SLED RIDE: Llewellyn Edwards runs with the Olympic Torch after riding with it in a bobsleigh during the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch run down the Olympic bobsleigh track at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

FIRST UP: The first torchbearer of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Vassilis Dimitriadis carries an Olympic torch during a lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia

HOLD THE LANTERN: Canadian First Nation Chiefs transport the Olympic Flame in a miners lantern (centre) across the harbour during the torch lighting ceremonies in Victoria, British Columbia.

BLESSING: Cowichan Band elder Albie Charlie (right) blesses the Olympic Torch held by fellow band member Amber Tommy during a stop in Duncan, British Columbia. The torch stopped at the First Nation reserve as part of its journey across Canada to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

KEEP IT DRY: Surfer Raph Bruhwiler carries the Olympic Torch while coming ashore along the shores of Pacific Rim National Park just outside Tofino, British Columbia.

PASSAGE TO INDIA: Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper and Bollywood star Akshay Kumar (left) pose with Indian children holding the Olympic torch for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic games, at a function in Mumbai.

CHEER SQUAD: A torchbearer carries the Olympic Torch at the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency in Quebec City, as part of its 106-day journey around Canada which will lead to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

POLITICAL STOPOVER: Former Canadian Olympian Barbara Ann Scott carries the Olympic Torch in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

ARMED: Canadian Armed Forces Warrant Officer Mark Walen (right) lights the flame of retired Sergeant Tom Hoppe as he prepares to run his leg of the Olympic Torch relay from Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

BIG TURNOUT: Olympic Torch relay runner Jack Prins, 16, arrives with the flame at celebrations in Lindsay, Ontario.