The flame for the Summer Games in Rio was lit in Southern Greece Thursday, marking the start of the Olympic-torch relay.

CCTV’s Dan Williams was at the kick-off ceremony and has this report.

Established 80 years ago, the official lighting ritual is based on a ceremony from Ancient Olympia where the games were held thousands of years ago.

Keeping to the tradition, the high priestess lit the flame using the midday sun in the temple of Hera in Olympia.

The torch will be carried through Eleanos refugee camp near Athens by a refugee next week. A refugee team will also compete at the games.

David Wallechinsky discusses the Rio games

To discuss the history of the Olympic-torch relay and the spirit of the Olympic games, Asieh Namdar spoke with David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians.

The journey of the 2016 Olympic torch

It is in Olympia, Greece, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, where the torch relay begins. In about 100 days the flame will arrive in Brazil, after a journey across the country’s 26 states and through more than 300 cities and towns in the lead-up to the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics, the first ever to take place in South America.

CCTV America’s Lucrecia Franco has more from Rio.