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Where to see the Olympic torch in London
3 Apr 2008The Olympic torch will be carried through the streets of London on Sunday by a host of sports stars and celebrities.
The route the Olympic torch will take through the streets of London (click image to enlarge)
The torch will pass through the capital carried by 80 torchbearers, including double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald and former British tennis number one Tim Henman.
Almost a quarter of the places for torchbearers have been awarded to London schoolchildren, who will each carry the flame for 250 metres.
The relay begins at Wembley amid African, Indian and Irish dance groups, before heading through Notting Hill and Hyde Park.
It will be carried by open-top bus along Oxford Street towards the British Museum and into Chinatown, welcomed by more dancers and performers.
The convoy passes through Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square accompanied by brass bands as the flame is exchanged in front of Nelson's Column.
It then heads to Downing Street, passes the Southbank Centre and arrives at Somerset House for a Bollywood brass band performance. The torch moves to St Paul's Cathedral before crossing Tower Bridge and heading eastwards to Stratford, near the Olympic Park.
It finishes its London journey at the O2 Arena where it will light a "cauldron" at a spectacular fireworks ceremony with a performance by Sugababes.
AND WHO WILL CARRY THE FLAME IN LONDON ON SUNDAY
Athletes and VIPs
Ed Coode - Olympic rowing champion Athens 2004
Steve Cram - former 1500-metres world champion runner
Danny Crates - disabled world indoor 800m champion
Gail Emms - Olympic doubles silver medallist, Athens 2004
Duncan Goodhew - former Olympic swimming champion
David Hemery - former Olympic hurdles champion
Tim Henman - tennis player
Dame Kelly Holmes - double Olympic champion, 800m and 1,500m Athens 2004
Konnie Huq - television presenter
Amara Karan - actress
Peter Kenyon - chief executive of Chelsea Football Club
Denise Lewis - former Olympic heptathlon champion
Kenny Logan - former Scotland rugby international
Vanessa Mae - classical musician
Francesca Martinez - comedian
Dame Ellen MacArthur - champion yachtswoman
Sir Trevor McDonald - television news presenter
Kevin Pietersen - England cricketer
Sir Steve Redgrave - Olympic rowing champion
Zoe Salmon - Blue Peter presenter
Tessa Sanderson - Olympic javelin champion
Sugababes - Three members of the pop group will take part
Leon Taylor - Olympic silver medallist in diving, Athens 2004
Denise Van Outen - television presenter
Theo Walcott - Arsenal and England footballer
Sir Clive Woodward - Director of Elite Performance for British Olympic Association
Hopefuls for 2012 Olympics
Lucy Boulton - member of British beach volleyball team
Kirsty McWilliam - Scotland's leading junior triathlete
Lee Shinkin - judo player
REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE
As well as sports stars and celebrities, several less-famous torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame through London's streets.
Emma Groundwater, 18, from Chiswick, will take the torch from Bayswater Road to Lancaster Terrace.
Proud moment: Emma Groundwater will carry the flame from Bayswater Road to Lancaster Terrace on Sunday
She said: "My PE teacher at Drayton Manor High School nominated me because of the community work I do. I am very involved in netball and have been coaching my own team for three years. I also coach adults and coach Ealing's youth games netball team, as well as playing for Middlesex county.
"I am proud to represent young people and show teenagers in a positive light - we are not all hoodies and drunks. My family are planning a party to celebrate.
"I am hoping to meet Kelly Holmes as she is a real role model for females in sport."
Lawyer Judy Sharrock, 51, from the New Forest, won an Evening Standard competition to take the torch across Theatre Square in Stratford.
She said: "I think I won because I did a charity horse ride from Lands' End to John O'Groats and raised £35,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital and a horse therapy centre.
"I was amazed to be selected. I have always loved the Olympics but have never been good enough at any sports to be able to compete. This is the closest I will get to being a part of it."
Reader views (8)
I have just witnessed the obscenity of people along the route in Central West London waving Samsung-sponsored flags. Don't they know what China is doing in Tibet?
- L Jamieson, London UK, 06/04/2008 11:51
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All the people who have agreed to carry the torch should be ashamed of themselves. If just one of them would do the honour of extinguishing it, they would be doing the World a favour.
- Iggy Severa, London, UK, 05/04/2008 10:31
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Nice to see all the usual wanabees ignoring decades of depression in China and Tibet for their few minutes of 'me me' stardom. Good luck to all those who plan to oppose this propaganda. Ken will obviously have front row seats at all the events at the taxpayers expense. Arriving by taxi no doubt.
- Carl, London, UK, 05/04/2008 10:05
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Your map is totally insufficient. As I live in Docklands, I'd like to know the exact route so I can watch the torch when it's carried by. Nowhere in this article can I find the exact details!
- Julia Seiffert, London Docklands, 04/04/2008 10:36
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I am afraid the torch for me represents Death, Torture and Oppression, at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. As said by Amnesty International, Human Rights abuses have increased, not in spite of the Olympics, but because of the Olympics. This surely is not what the Olympics is about. Those poor people who will carry the torch appear to have no conscience, and are sadly promoting more abuses, even if they are not aware of the situation. If I were them, I would look to see the truth of the carnage that is happening in China, and then they would realise that they should not be so happy to carry that torch. For the people watching also, when you see the torch, think of it as an Electric baton, that is used to torture innocent people in China, because that is what happens there. People, please do the right thing in your heart, please have compassion for those that suffer at the hands of the CCP.
- Neil, Surrey, UK, 04/04/2008 09:50
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Here,here!
People should not feel afraid to speak out, especially against such corruption and abuse.
- Let's go.
- H Fitzpatrick, London, UK, 04/04/2008 01:09
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These guys need to put their torches down to get the message across, all they're bothered about is their pay cheque at the end of it...and a little time in the lime light. Think of all the sufferers and they are gallivanting around being fickle, channel 4 news couldn't get hold of any of them because they know what they're doing is wrong and they would get grilled for it, shameful.
- Anon, ldn, 03/04/2008 19:51
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Here's hoping there will be 'free Tibet' and 'end human rights abuses in China' peaceful protests at all stages along the route.
- Paulo Uccello, London UK, 03/04/2008 12:28
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