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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow

Shinano Mainichi

Official Olympic flag put on display in Nagano

The official Olympic five-ring flag made its public debut in Nagano on Thursday, four years after the host city of the 18th Winter Games received it from Lillehammer, the host city of the 1994 Winter Games.

Nagano Mayor Tasuku Tsukada, who received the banner from the mayor of Lillehammer at the close of 1994 Games, displayed the huge flag at the Nagano city hall Thursday morning in a ceremony before a group of city employees.

''There are only two days to the opening ceremony. It will be your last chance to see the Olympic flag. So, take a good look at it,'' Tsukada told the assembled group.

The 2 meter by 3 meter flag, which arrived in Japan in March 1994, will be on display at the Nagano city hall through Feb. 18.

A duplicate will be hoisted during the Nagano Games at the Minami Nagano Sports Park stadium, the site of the games' opening ceremony Saturday.

Tsukada will hand the Olympic flag over to the mayor of Salt Lake City, host of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, at the closing ceremony of the Nagano Games on Feb. 22.

(Kyodo News)

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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun