Greek actress Katerina Lehou, in the role of a high priestess, lit the torch after offering a 'prayer' to Apollo, the Greek god of sun, light and music.
On a sunny rehearsal day before the official ceremony, a flame is lit according to the traditional method. This flame is kept in reserve in case the sun is not out on the day of the official ceremony. In that case the torch can be lit from this flame, which is kept in a security lamp. The last time the sun did not shine and the flame from the security lamp was used was in the ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. This was also the case for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
Wednesday's ceremony started with three beats of a drum held by an actress playing the part of an ancient priestess.
Come rain or shine on Thursday's official lighting ceremony, Rio de Janeiro has now secured its Olympic flame, which will burn in the Brazilian host city throughout the August 5-21 games.
The meticulously choreographed ceremony was held in Ancient Olympia, southern Greece, where the Olympics of antiquity were held for more than 1000 years.
AFter the flame is lit on Thursday, the next six days will see hundreds of runners u00e2u0080u0094 including a Syrian refugee who has claimed asylum in Greece u00e2u0080u0094 carry the torch for 2,234 kms through Greece.
An actress playing a priestess releases a dove at the ancient stadium of Olympia on April 20, 2016 during a dress rehearsal of the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame in ancient Olympia, the sanctuary where the Olympic Games were born in 776 BC
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