Sir Steve Redgrave carries the torch into the stadium during the London Olympic Games 2012 Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, London. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

Sir Steve Redgrave has passed the Olympic Flame to seven young people, who lit the Olympic cauldron in the Stadium.

The rower, who is Britain’s greatest Olympian, lit a Torch from the Olympic Flame brought in by powerboat by David Beckham and women’s football player Jade Bailey.

Sir Steve, who won five gold medals in five consecutive Olympic Games, brought the Flame into the Stadium through an honour guard of 500 people who built the Olympic Park.

He ran with the Flame into the Stadium before holding it aloft for everyone to see and then gave it to a group of young athletes who took turns to run with it on a lap of the Stadium.

The athletes were all nominated by British Olympians, and met with these Olympians at the end of the lap.

The Olympians, including Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Mary Peters, presented the young people with Torches of their own, which the youngsters lit using the first Flame.

A group of 260 of Britain’s summer and winter Olympians from years past watched the exchange.

The young people, each with their own lit Torches, then ran towards the cauldron and lit it together. The cauldron was made up of the 204 copper petals brought out by each nation during the athletes’ parade.

The petals were then all lifted to form one giant Flame.

Callum Airlie, 17, was nominated by gold medal-winning sailor Shirley Robertson. He has been sailing since the age of four, and is a two-time Optimist UK national champion who aims to be entered into the 2013 ISAF (International Sailing Association & Federation) Open.

Jordan Duckitt, 18, was chairman of the London 2012 Young Ambassador Steering Group for two years, and was nominated by Duncan Goodhew.

Athletics talent Desiree Henry was put forward by Daley Thompson. The 16-year-old was the youngest member of the Great Britain youth team to gain a world 200m title at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2011, and competes this year at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona.

Runner Katie Kirk was nominated by Dame Mary Peters, who won gold in the women’s Pentathlon at the 1972 Munich Games. The 18-year-old was selected to run at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

She was also part of the gold medal-winning team in the 4x400m relay at the European Junior championships in Tallinn, Estonia.

Sir Steve nominated young rower Cameron MacRitchie, 19. The teenager finished fifth with his partner James Edwards in the men’s pair at the 2012 GB rowing team under 23 trials in April and was selected in the men;s eight to race at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Lithuania.

Aidan Reynolds, 18, was put forward by Lynn Davies, who captained Team GB at Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. Aidan gave up a promising basketball career to focus on the javelin, winning three medals at national level at the English Schools, UK School Games and English Championships.

Adelle Tracey was nominated by Dame Kelly Holmes. The 19-year-old has collected county, regional and national junior and senior titles in 400m and 800m, and has been in the top five UK rankings for the last six years.

She won 800m silver for Great Britain in the European Youth Olympic Festival in Finland.