ANGELINA JOLIE WILL NOT IGNITE FLAME
Copyright 2004 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ June 17th 2004 ]

Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie will not ignite the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games because of movie commitments, an official spokesperson for the actress has confirmed. The 29-year-old actress, star of recent videogame adaptation Lara Croft Tomb Raider and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), was tapped to run the final leg bearing the Olympic torch to conclude an international relay to commemorate the official opening of the 2004 Olympic Games.

More than 200 people in two chartered jets will accompany the $45 million relay that will take the flame for the first time to all five continents, including debut legs in Africa and Latin America. Previous torch processions at Sydney and Atlanta were largely domestic affairs with a brief international leg. When it arrives in Sydney the flame in the lantern will be used to light the torch that will then be passed to thousands of runners, before returning to Greece.