RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — A teary-eyed Pele carried the Olympic torch Sunday on its first trip to South America in front of a cheering crowd that turned out to watch the historic moment.
The soccer legend ran the first leg of the relay that will include 120 athletes, celebrities and ordinary people on a seven-hour tour of the city.
"Today, I have the privilege of being the first Brazilian to carry the torch in our country and that is something for which there is no comparison," the 63-year-old Pele said after his 400-meter run.
He said his only regret was not being able to participate in the Olympics because he turned professional at 16 and, at the time, only amateur athletes were allowed to participate in the games.
The flame arrived at Galeao Air Force Base on Sunday morning and was flown by helicopter to Maracana Stadium, where 2004 school children dressed in white were sitting on the field arranged in the form of the five-ring Olympic symbol.
Brazilian Olympic Committee President Carlos Nuzman lit the torch and handed it to Pele who began the run, passing the torch off to a student outside the stadium.
Along the way sports stars including Zico, Ronaldo and Gustavo Kuerten carried the torch around 19 Rio de Janeiro neighborhoods. A handful of ordinary people including students, street sweepers and a letter carrier also participated.
The tour included a ride up a cable car to the top of postcard-famous Sugarloaf mountain.
The around-the-world relay next goes to Mexico City. The torch will visit 33 cities in 26 countries and cover nearly 50,000 miles.