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Micronesia welcomes Olympic torch
Posted: Wednesday May 24, 2000 11:09 AM
POHNPEI, Micronesia (AP) -- Not even a deadly outbreak of cholera dampened the enthusiastic reception Wednesday for the Olympic flame in the Federated States of Micronesia. The disease had claimed at least two lives, more than 100 others were infected and even the U.S. ambassador's dog had succumbed to the disease spreading through the cluster of tiny Pacific islands, the Australian Associated Press reported. But amid a bombardment of government health warnings, hundreds of people ventured out to the Pohnpei airport to witness the lighting of the first of 100 torches to be used during the third stop on the torch relay route through Oceania. After the traditional flame lighting ceremony May 10 at Ancient Olympia, the torch traveled around Greece before being handed over to Sydney 2000 organizers. The torch landed Monday in Guam to start a 17-day journey through 13 Pacific Island nations. The flame traveled through Palau on Tuesday, where a traditional chief abandoned the official white torchbearer uniform in favor of a loincloth as he carried the flame along a jungle path. Next stop for the torch relay was Nauru. The flame was scheduled to arrive June 8 in Australia to commence the 100-day countdown to the Sept. 15 opening ceremony in Sydney.
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