Vancouver flame lit in ancient Olympia

The Olympic flame for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver has been successfully lit by the sun’s rays.

The sun shone just enough over the fallen temples at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics on Thursday for a Greek actress in a pagan priestess’ white gown and sandals to focus its rays on a silver torch using a concave mirror.

The flame will burn at the February 12-28 Vancouver Games, following a torch relay across Canada and a shorter run in Greece.

Bad weather disrupted the ceremony for the last three Winter Games, and officials had to use back-up flames kindled at rehearsals.