@ugusta preolympic: Augusta's Olympic Torchbearers

olympics@ugusta
home page

Augusta's Training Venues

Boxing

Rowing

Handball

Table Tennis

Shooting

Schedule of Events

Torch Bearers

Augusta's Olympians

Olympic
Torchbearers

On July 14, more than 50 local residents will carry the Olympic flame through the Augusta area. The torchbearers have been hailed by Billy Payne, president of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, as ``a composite of great Americans.''

Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Chairman Billy Payne lights a cauldron with the Olympic Flame from a Greek torch at opening ceremony of the Olympic Torch Relay in Los Angeles in April. Photo: Atlanta Commitee for the Olympic Games

Augusta's Torchbearers

Community heroes
The torchbeares - ``community heroes,'' as they are called - were chosen in a nationwide search. Although the list includes a smattering of celebrities, it is dominated by ordinary people who have made contributions to their communities.

Route of the Torch

From Waynesboro to Harlem
The Olympic torch relay will enter the south end of Augusta from Waynesboro, Ga., around noon and head out past Harlem about 4 p.m. By 1:15 p.m. , the torch is scheduled to come through downtown Augusta and pause near the Jessye Norman Amphitheatre for a 15-minute ceremony. Even though the torch will be there for a short time, other events are planned at Riverwalk from noon until 4 p.m. Preliminary plans include having several sports exhibitions by local gymnasts, cyclists and rowers.

News

Olympic flame carriers Mac Brown (from left), James Newsome and his daughter, Cail Newsome, check out the torch they will be carrying. They were some of the 52 "community heroes" honored at a ceremony in February.

photo: Margaret Sellers/Staff

Augusta prepares
to greet an old flame :
Web-posted July 13, 1996
The Olympic symbol is coming. It arrives at midday Sunday, July 14. It leaves around 4 p.m. Those four hours hold so much excitement, emotion, patriotism and spectacle that ``once-in-a-lifetime'' this time isn't such a cliche.

Final torch route detailed:
June 27,1996
Residents along Milledge and Jackson roads will have gold-medal viewing when the Olympic Torch passes through Augusta.

Augusta readies for torch:
May 28,1996
As the countdown to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta winds down, some Augusta-area residents have their eyes set on another clock. On July 14, the Olympic torch relay will pass through the area, and organizers are making plans for it to be special.

Across the nation and into Georgia:
May 5, 1996
For 84 days and 15,000 miles, the Olympic torch - a bit of historic flame with its own entourage and motel room - will tour America like no visiting dignitary has ever done before.

Grovetown pleads to carry the torch:
April 7, 1996
The torchbearers' trail is scheduled to edge along Georgia 78 as the flame passes west from Augusta, to Harlem and Thomson, and eventually to Atlanta, but it will not pass through Grovetown.

Olympic torch bearers honored:
Feb. 21, 1996
52 Olympic torchbearers from the Augusta area were honored by Augusta-Richmond County Mayor-Chairman Larry Sconyers in a ceremony at the Municipal Building.