Swimming coach Robertson to carry Olympic flame

Swimming coach Jim Robertson has been announced as Shetland’s first torch carrier when the Olympic flame passes through Lerwick on Sunday 10th June.

The route through town will include the Esplanade, the Knab, King Harald Street and South Road. The event will be marked with an afternoon of family friendly celebrations at Clickimin but the main focus will be the torch relay through the town.

The Olympic flame is expected to arrive in Lerwick at around 2pm, with 20 nominated torch-bearers sharing the honour of passing it along the four-mile route. The last part of the torch relay will involve a passage across the Clickimin Loch aboard the sixareen Vaila Mae.

Mr Robertson was nominated in recognition of his contribution to local swimming, having been involved as a committee member and coach with Lerwick Amateur Swimming Club for over 30 years.

He said: “I am thrilled to be part of the Olympic torch relay and pleased that folk thought I was good enough to do it. It’ll be a great experience and I am very much looking forward to my chance to carry the flame around Lerwick.”

SIC sports and leisure manager Neil Watt added: “It will be a real honour to welcome the Olympic torch relay to Lerwick and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the public to see the Olympic flame in Shetland. For those local individuals selected as torch-bearers it will be an unforgettable experience too.”

Former Olympic gold medallist Sebastian Coe, now Lord Coe and chairman of of the London Olympic Committee, said: “The flame symbolises the Olympic spirit and its journey around the UK will bring the excitement of the games to our streets. Now the people know the route the Olympic flame will be carried along, they can start planning how they might celebrate and make it Shetland’s moment to shine.”

Full details of the London 2012 Olympic torch relay can be viewed at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay.