[dimondpark]

S.F. to be the only U.S. stop for Olympic Torch Relay
Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, April 27, 2007

http://sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/04/27/mn_olympic27.jpg

(04-27) 08:21 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco may have lost out on its bid to host the 2016 Olympics, but the city will be the only U.S. stop during the Olympic Torch Relay preceding the 2008 games, the Organizing Committee for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games said this week.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, U.S. Olympic Committee officials and a representative of the Chinese government are expected to officially announce the stop at a 10 a.m. press conference today at San Francisco City Hall.

Bejing is hosting the 2008 summer Olympics. On Thursday, the games' organizing committee announced the torch route.

The relay begins in Athens, Greece and is expected to last 130 days and cover more than 85,000 miles. The theme is "Journey of Harmony."

Chicago beat out Los Angeles earlier this month to be the U.S.'s bid city for the 2016 games. San Francisco withdrew its bid in November after the San Francisco 49ers backed out of a plan to rebuild their stadium -- which also would have been used to host the games -- at Candlestick Point.

E-mail Marisa Lagos at mlagos@sfchronicle.com.

[vertex]

Who the hell decides on this route? Forget about the U.S. for a minute, look at all of the countries that are excluded. A fine start indeed...

[peanut gallery]

Does the torch usually go straight to the host city, then tour the planet, then come back? I always thought its first appearance in the host city was the grand finale of the word tour.

[fflint]

Who the hell decides on this route? Forget about the U.S. for a minute, look at all of the countries that are excluded. A fine start indeed...
I am offended that it will not move through Phoenix, the city in which I happen to live.

[dimondpark]

I think the host city's organizing committee decides where it goes and it definitely gets there LAST-just in time for the opening ceremonies. Dunno about the beginning.

As far as Phoenix,
How they found the audacity to not swing through there is beyond me.

[rs913]

I'm surprised SF didn't have to bid to host the Olympic torch relay. Imagine the outrage as local activists argue that hosting the torch for a day diverts from SF's pressing issues, and Mayor Newsom and the committee hustle to salvage the bid... :D

[MrMetropolitan]

I'm a little surprised that it won't be stopping in Canada, to be honest. I would think that Vancouver or Toronto might get to see the torch. Oh well, those Canadians will have their revenge when Vancouver gets the olympies.