Sun shines on dress rehearsal for Olympic Youth Games in Singapore

GREEK officials have conducted a full dress rehearsal for the lighting of the Olympic flame that is due to burn at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore next month.

Standing in front of the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera, an actress dressed as an ancient priestess used a concave mirror to light a silver torch with the sun's rays yesterday.

Hundreds of tourists visiting the site where the traditional Olympics were held from 776BC to AD393 stood in the intense heat to witness the ceremony.

The actual lighting ceremony, to be attended by International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, is due to take place today. If clouds disrupt the lighting of the official torch, the flame lit in yesterday's rehearsal will serve as backup.

The flame symbolises the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus. The use of the flame at modern Olympics was reintroduced at the 19289 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam

The Youth Olympics will be held from 16-26 August.