Suspended by a harness, 1984 Olympic champion gymnast Li Ning, 45, moves along the stadium’s upper level to light the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony at the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Olympic torch bearer Stefania Belmondo lights the Olympic flame during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. (Andrew Vaughan / Associated Press)
Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, a 1996 gold medalist in windsurfing, bounds upward to light the Olympic torch signifying the opening of the 28th Olympiad in Athens, Greece. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Members of the 1980 gold medal U.S. Hockey Team light the torch at the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)
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Cathy Freeman, an Aboriginal athlete chosen to light the Olympic flame for Australia, holds the torch during the Opening Ceremony in Sydney. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Olympic figure skater Midori Ito lights the cauldron for the Opening Ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. (Lutz Bongarts / Getty Images)
