Olympic flame arrives in Britain

Even the wind cooperated Friday at this normally blustery naval

station, remaining calm as David Beckham lit a celebratory cauldron

and signaled the start of the 2012 London Olympics torch relay.

There was a hushed ”oooooh” as the former England national

team captain and current star for the Los Angeles Galaxy took

center stage as the flame arrived in the United Kingdom from Greece

on the eve of a 70-day relay. Then, as the fire roared to life in

the gold and white cauldron, there was an ”ahhhh” of relief. Even

the vagaries of British weather wouldn’t interfere this time.

”This is a big acceleration of the heartbeat,” London Mayor

Boris Johnson said as he summed up the moment. ”This is the final

furlong for us.”

The flame is a symbol of peace and unity that harkens back to

the origins of the games in ancient Greece. But in 2012, it was

Beckham that gave it star power. The 37-year-old star was excited

about the chance to welcome the world to his ”hood.” He’s from

east London, where the main stadium is located.

Beckham been involved in the London Games since the organizing

committee launched its successful bid in 2005. His star power – the

kind that sends children into shrieks of hysteria and turns

diplomats’ wives in Athens into paparazzi – is part of the reason

that the International Olympic Committee took notice of the London

bid over Paris, the favorite.

While Beckham the celebrity isn’t shirking the attention the

Olympic torch brings, Beckham the soccer star really, really wants

to take part on the field.

”I’ve never played in an Olympic Games,” he said. ”Obviously,

I’d love to.”

”I’ve always made it clear that I love representing my

country,” he added. ”I’ve done that quite a few times.”

He’s done that 115 times, to be precise, with the England team.

But the Olympics have eluded him. He said that being at the flame

handover ceremony Thursday night in Athens reminded him of the

ancient ties to the games and that he ”got goose bumps just being

part of it.”

Beckham has been included in coach Stuart Pearce’s 80-man

shortlist that will be whittled down to 18 players in the coming

weeks to form Britain’s first Olympic soccer squad since 1960. If

chosen, he would be one of the three players over age 23 allowed in

each Olympic squad.

Many cameras turned to the photogenic Beckham when the flame

arrived at a Royal Navy air station in Cornwall on Friday night.

The flame, traveling on the gold-painted British Airways Flight

2012, was carried off by Princess Anne, the head of the British

Olympic Committee and herself a former Olympian.

On the plane itself, the flame got seats 1A and 1B. There were

actually four little lanterns – just in case – and all were guarded

by the Metropolitan Police’s special torch security team.

This was a flight like no other. Every detail was considered.

Airline passengers arriving in Britain often have to wait in long

lines to clear border checks – but here some border guards flew

with the passengers so they could check passports while still on

board the plane before entering Britain.

London’s Olympic organizers are hoping that the flame’s arrival

can generate excitement about the Games.

The torch will be carried all over the British Isles by 8,000

chosen volunteers, mostly local heroes. Its 8,000-mile

(12,875-kilometer) journey will linger on the iconic sites – Big

Ben, Stonehenge, the white cliffs of Dover – and speed past less

appealing areas. It ends up July 27 at the Olympic Stadium in

London.

”There is an emotional connection with this that I’m not sure

other torch relays got,” organizing committee chairman Sebastian

Coe said. ”When the torch goes through a town, people are going to

recognize a lot of those torchbearers. I know a lot of the local

authorities in towns who are making extra precautions for the

numbers that are going to be out there.”

Beckham is one of the bookies’ favorites to open the Olympics by

lighting the cauldron in London – and he told reporters while

visiting an Athens school that he’d love the job. Other favorites

include miler Roger Bannister, rower Steve Redgrave, Coe, Queen

Elizabeth II or other members of Britain’s royal family.

But no word on that – Coe says the decision hasn’t even been

discussed yet. For the moment, Beckham’s just thrilled to be a part

of the torch relay.

”Being here today just makes it all that real,” he said in

Athens. ”Being handed the torch is the start of the games.”

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