Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and three further greats jointly lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony for the Vancouver Winter Games as the final torch bearers on Friday.
Gretzky was accompanied by alpine skier Nancy Greene, speed skater Katrina LeMay Doan and basketball all-star Steve Nash in the lighting which was delayed by a technical hitch as one of the arms of the cauldron construction at BC Place did not rise from the floor, dpa reported.
Gretzky was then seemingly the designated person to light a second cauldron in downtown Vancouver.
The Vancouver Olympics run until February 28 and bring together some 2,500 athletes from 82 countries in 86 medal events.
The three-hour ceremony at BC Place was dedicated to Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili who died earlier Friday in a training crash. A minute of silence was observed in his honour as the Olympic and Canadian flag was lowered to half staff.
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