Friday night’s opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics was a spectacle witnessed by nearly 27 million people all over the world.
One area college student played a central role in bringing the Olympic flame to the stadium to light the torch and officially open the Games.
Tennessee Temple senior basketball player Amber Charles was the final torchbearer Friday as the flame was delivered to London City Hall after being transported on the River Thames by a barge thatt was rowed by 16-person crew.
Charles was the last person to carry the flame before it was seen traveling to the Olympic Stadium on a speedboat driven by British soccer superstar David Beckham.
“I spoke to her by phone, and she’s extremely proud and excited,” said Kenrick Liburd, who coaches women’s basketball and men’s soccer at Temple. “She said it was intense, and she was just glad she didn’t drop the torch.”