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Wind blows out flame in New Zealand
Posted: Tuesday June 06, 2000 10:44 AM
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark joined the Olympic torch relay Tuesday but was forced to take an unscheduled breather when "Windy" Wellington remained true to name. As the Prime Minister jogged down the stairs of Parliament House in the national capital, a gust of wind snuffed the Olympic flame. It was quickly re-ignited by support staff and the relay continued. Clark, who wore the baggy white torchbearers' uniform, challenged Australian Prime Minister John Howard to carry the flame in Australia's capital of Canberra. But Howard has already declined one of 11,000 torchbearers' spots on the Australian leg of the relay, saying he preferred the position go to a regular Aussie citizen. The Wellington leg of the relay began with a "powhiri", a Maori tradition in which barriers between two tribes, or "iwi" are broken down. A delegation of Wellington Maori elders performed the "powhiri" and "hongi", the pressing of noses, with torch relay officials as the flame arrived at the airport. The flame will travel north Wednesday to Auckand to round off the first ever Olympic torch-relay through Oceania. It will disembark Auckland for Uluru, in central Australia, where it will touch down early Thursday. From Uluru, or Ayres Rock, the relay will continue on a 100-day, 27,000-kilometer (16,740-miles) route around Australia, passing within driving distance of 80 percent of the population. Its final destination is Sydney's main Olympic venue, Stadium Australia, on Sept. 15, where the flame will be used to light the cauldron during the opening ceremony.
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