From early morning, more than 70 activities await visitors on Nemunas Island: sports, interactive activities, meetings with Olympians, competitions, discussions, and entertainment for the whole family. Sports enthusiasts can also participate in the traditional Olympic Mile run, 3×3 basketball tournament, HYROX competitions, swimming challenge triathlon in the “Žalgiris” pool, and much more. As every year, all Olympic Day events are free and open to everyone.
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Olympic Day torch relay – a dozen Olympians
Traditionally, the Olympic Day opening ceremony began with the Olympic torch relay. The torch, solemnly brought to the stage on Nemunas Island, symbolized the continuity of the Olympic movement, respect for traditions and values that unite athletes of different generations.
The Olympic Day torch was lit by President Valdas Adamkus and began its journey towards Nemunas Island along the Neris River even before the event. The torch was carried on a jet ski by Olympic vice-champion Mindaugas Griškonis, and later taken over by gymnast Rokas Guščinas and ice dancer Saulius Ambrulevičius.
During the Olympic Day opening ceremony, 13 more national Olympians carried the torch to the stage in turns: biathletes Maksimas Fominas and Karolis Dombrovskis, sailors Viktorija Andrulytė and Juozas Bernotas, rowers Birutė Šakickienė, Ieva Adomavičiūtė and Saulius Ritter, skiers Eglė Savickaitė and Vida Vencienė, basketball player Gintautas Matulis, figure skating representative Meda Variakojytė, high jumper Nelė Žilinskienė and discus thrower Romas Ubartas.
Visitors can meet all of them at the celebration, and there are even more Olympians who came with their family members.
Minister of Education, Science and Sport Raminta Popovienė emphasized that the essence of Olympic Day is not only sporting achievements, but also the opportunity for everyone to feel the joy of movement, strengthen their health, and be part of an active community: “Sport is not just about results. Sport is about togetherness, good mood, communication, being together, and most importantly – it’s a habit of moving, exercising, and strengthening your health. This is precisely our main goal. I hope that this traditional Olympic Day will inspire both the youngest and the oldest members of our society to move.”
Greeting the event participants, Kaunas Vice-Mayor Mantas Jurgutis emphasized the city’s sports traditions, the importance of togetherness, and expressed joy that the country’s largest sports festival is taking place in Kaunas this year. “I sincerely thank everyone for being in Kaunas – a city of sports, a city that knows what it means to be together, to play sports together, to respect each other, and to implement projects of such scale,” said M. Jurgutis.
President of the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee (LTOK), Olympic champion Daina Gudzinevičiūtė thanked the city of Kaunas and everyone who contributed to the organization of this celebration: “Let’s show today how we know how to celebrate. We know how to celebrate not only victories – we know how to celebrate sport, Olympism, and being together.”
The organizers of Olympic Day and event visitors received an exclusive video greeting from the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry: “I want to sincerely thank the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee and President Daina. Your work in fostering sport and Olympic values, not only during Olympic Day but throughout the year, is truly inspiring. What fascinates me most is how you educate the younger generation through sport. You help children and youth to move, learn and grow, strengthen their self-confidence and develop essential life skills.”
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She also emphasized the efforts of the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee to instill Olympic values in schools and communities, involving thousands of teachers and young people in activities every year. According to K. Coventry, values such as equality, inclusion, safety, and sustainability are consistently fostered in Lithuania, and through them, sport becomes an important force creating positive changes not only in the world of sport but also in society as a whole. “Therefore, today my message to all people of Lithuania is simple: let’s move! Let’s be active, have fun, and celebrate this special day together,” she said.
During the opening ceremony, LTOK President Daina Gudzinevičiūtė was awarded the honorary badge of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The highest ministry award for significant merits to Lithuanian sport and the strengthening of the Olympic movement was presented by the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Raminta Popovienė.
Active and entertainment activities – all day long
In addition to sports competitions and active pursuits, Nemunas Island also features an Olympic education area, inviting visitors to learn about the Olympic movement, its history, and values. Here, one can participate in interactive activities, solve quizzes, try various tasks, and win prizes. The educational spaces provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the principles of Olympism and their importance in modern society.
Event participants can also visit an exhibition of historical moments dedicated to President Valdas Adamkus. The president, celebrating his 100th birthday this year, lit the symbolic event torch even before Olympic Day, and the exhibition presents the most prominent moments of his sporting life and activities in the Olympic movement.
Spectators can also admire the strongest firefighter-rescuer competition, which is taking place for the third consecutive year during Olympic Day. Firefighters complete the course wearing protective gear weighing about 15 kg, carry hose bundles to the 4th floor, and in the final stretch, they have to drag a mannequin weighing as much as 85 kg.
Throughout the day, meetings, discussions, and various activities will take place on Nemunas Island, and in the evening, the celebration will be crowned by a concert by the group “Antikvariniai Kašpirovskio dantys”.
In Lithuania, Olympic Day was first held in Vilnius in 1989. Since 2015, it has become a traveling festival, visiting a different city in the country each year. Today, it is the largest event of the Olympic movement in Lithuania, promoting an active lifestyle, acquaintance with sports, and the dissemination of Olympic values.
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More information – olimpinediena.lt.
