Director DANNY BOYLE only told the seven young athletes picked to light the Olympic cauldron of their key role in the Games' opening ceremony the day before the event.

The Slumdog Millionaire filmmaker was tasked with coordinating the huge curtain-raising celebration, which took place at London's Olympic Stadium on Friday (27Jul12) and officially kicked off the sporting spectacular.

Speculation had been rife about who Boyle would pick to light the symbolic flame, but he kept the youngsters' identity shrouded in secrecy by breaking the news to them with just 24 hours to go.

Junior European gold medal relay runner Katie Kirk, one of the promising young sports stars who helped cap the event, admits she was shocked when Boyle delivered news of her job.

She tells Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, "Danny told the seven of us and we looked at each other in complete shock because we couldn't believe it. I didn't want to mess up. But we had someone in our earpiece talking to us (during the ceremony), which helped. It still doesn't feel real. I'm looking at myself on the TV and thinking, 'There's no way that's me.'"

07/30/2012 9:05