No nostalgia for Rogge

Goodbye time

There would be no trips down memory lane, nor pangs of nostalgia for Jacques Rogge after his last Games torch-lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia on Thursday, the International Olympic Committee President told Reuters.

Rogge, who took over the IOC in 2001 with the body reeling from a corruption scandal linked to the Salt Lake City Games, will step down in September 2013 after overseeing six Games torch lighting ceremonies at the site of the ancient Games in the western Peloponnese.

"I never look back," Rogge told Reuters after the lighting ceremony of the London Olympics.  "I am not a nostalgic man. I worked as hard as I could and it was always a privilege. But there will be no nostalgia," added the 70-year-old surgeon with a faint smile.

Renowned for his reserved manner, Rogge has managed to restore the organisation's image following the biggest corruption scandal triggered by bribes for votes for Salt Lake City.

He also steered his organisation safely through the global credit crisis and considerably boosted its finances during his time in charge.

The London Games will be his last in charge before the election of his successor during the IOC session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, next year.

Meanwhile, Games chief Sebastian Coe said the torch relay will inspire a generation and lift the spirits of people in Britain and the world.

"We promise to protect the Flame; to cherish its traditions and to stage an uplifting torch relay of which we can all be proud and which can inspire a generation," Coe said.

"As torchbearers lift the Olympic flame in the days and months ahead, it is our hope that they will also lift the spirits and hopes of people across Britain and across world," said the former Olympic champion.