View Photos    Atlanta, Ga. - Olympic champion was one of many great sports figures to carry the Olympic torch through the streets of downtown Atlanta on Friday evening.    The Olympic flame travelled to Los Angeles, the site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games from Mexico City, Mexico, the site of the 1968 Olympic Games on Wednesday. Yesterday, the flame was in St. Louis, Mo., the host of the 1904 Olympic Games. The U.S. portion of the International Torch Relay will wrap up in New York City, the home of the United Nations, on Saturday.    "This is one of the greatest experiences I have ever had," stated Gardner, who also carried the torch at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. "The Olympics are what we dream of as athletes, and for me to be considered to be a part of that process is an honor."    Gardner was the third to last figure to carry the torch. He handed the flame to Billy Payne, the chief of the 1996 Olympic Games. Payne then handed the flame to Vonetta Flowers, the first African-American to win an Olympic gold medal at the Winter Olympics after she won in women's bobsled at the 2002 Games.    Flowers lit the caldron in Centennial Olympic Park.    Being selected as a torchbearer for the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay is a tremendous honor. The theme for the torch relay is "Pass the Flame, Unite the World." The Athens Organizing Committee for the 2004 Olympic Games established criteria that all torchbearers 'represent the best of humanity' and that selection programs include some form of public participation. Torchbearers selected reflect the values of the Olympic Games and are people who unite their communities through sport, education or culture. They also inspire others through participation, celebration, human scale and heritage.    American Idol runner-up Diana DeGarmo then sang a resounding edition of "American the Beautiful" before local band Cowboy Mouth sang the "National Anthem" before a roaring crowd.    In Atlanta, the torch was passed along a 30-mile route, beginning at Coca-Cola headquarters.    With more than 3,600 runners from the international community and nearly 7,000 within Greece, there will be more than 10,000 torchbearers who carry the Olympic flame in the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. Approximately 480 torchbearers are expected to take part in the American portion of this historic event.    The torch began in Sydney, Australia, the site of the 2000 Olympic Games, on June 2. Its run will end on August 13, during the opening ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. During its trip, it passed through Africa and South America for the first time.    Gardner is set to compete in the 2004 Titan Games, Built by Home Depot, at Atlanta's Phillips Arena on Saturday and Sunday. The event includes many Olympians from wrestling, boxing, judo, fencing, shot put, taekwondo and weightlifting.