By, Heather Maloney
Tonight the BBC announced on their official twitter page that Matt Smith will be an Olympic Torchbearer on Saturday morning. Matt Smith portrays the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor on “Doctor Who“. Smith will be carrying the torch in Cardiff, the modern home of Doctor Who, on its way to the coastal city of Swansea.
The torch relay takes place every two years and requires multiple representatives to carry the flame for thousands of miles ending with a grand lighting ceremony to open the Olympic Games. This practice began in ancient Greece where, as a symbol of how Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mankind, athletes would hold relay races where they carried a torch. The torch would be passed from runner to runner until it reached the finish line.
Oddly enough, this is not the first time the Doctor has carried the Olympic Torch, although the other occasions were works of fiction. In the episode “Fear Her”, David Tennant’s Doctor carried the torch during the final leg of the relay. The torch was also featured in the winning mini episode that was aired last night called “Good as Gold”.
Please stay tuned for additional “Doctor Who” news and updates.
The Geek Port 