Philip Barker: When the first Olympic Stadium came alive again Thursday, 8 April 2021
Just over a week ago, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach took part in a socially distanced ceremony to inaugurate the new lights at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
Bach said Greece gave birth to the Olympic Games twice, once in Ancient Olympia and once here in 1896 . Greeks gave to humanity the gift of the Olympic Games and also the gift of democracy, he added. With the new lighting of the Panathenaic Stadium, this heritage will become even more brilliant and enlighten the entire world.
It brought back memories of a very different floodlit celebration in the same stadium 25 years ago this week, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Modern Games.