After being lit in Olympia last Friday, the first-ever Youth Olympic flame stopped in Berlin and Dakar this weekend as part of its journey to Singapore. Crowds gathered to welcome the flame as it arrived for the city celebrations.

Young Ambassador Karolin Weber took part in the festivities to celebrate the arrival of the Youth Olympic flame in Berlin. She tells us about her experience:

“We had already met the German athletes on Friday, so we had had the chance to get to know each other. They were very excited when they got their official outfit for Singapore. One of the athletes said: “Success always has a history, this is the beginning!!!”.

During a reception at the Olympic Stadium the athletes had the chance to meet European IOC members and to talk to them about the Youth Olympic Games. On Saturday there was a workshop on intercultural learning before we left for the Brandenburg Gate. As soon as we arrived, the athletes saw how huge this Youth Olympic Day was: the audience had the opportunity to take part in several activities like shooting, fencing, basketball, etc.  At around 1.30 p.m., the athletes entered the stage together with the flag of every European country. After they took their positions, the Youth Olympic flame arrived. This was an emotional moment for everybody because we felt that it was the beginning of something special. Overall, the Youth Olympic Day was a great event not only for the 15 000 spectators, but also for the German athletes and, of course, for me. I hope that Dakar, Mexico City, Auckland and Seoul are going to enjoy the journey of the Youth Olympic flame as much as Berlin did. See you in Singapore!”

The next stop will be in Mexico City, so watch out for the next report!