The Ancient Stadium of Olympia was a holy place for the ancient Greeks, where all the sports activities held were dedicated to the god Zeus. The stadium had seating capacity for 20,000 spectators. There was a vaulted tunnel that connected the stadium and the sanctuary.The starting and finishing lines are indicated by two stone markers. Today, you can still line up on the marker and race to the other side.
Our trip to Olympia had to be postponed until the afternoon, because the Chinese delegates were in Olympia participating in the lighting of the flame for the 2022 Winter Olympics. A burning flame has been part of the modern Olympics since 1928, but the tradition goes all the way back to the ancient Games in Greece.