OXFORD, England – Roger Bannister returned to the track where he broke the 4-minute barrier for the mile 58 years ago, walking slowly but smiling broadly as he carried the Olympic torch across the finish line Tuesday just 17 days before the start of the London Games.

Bannister, 83, walked 30 yards along the track, holding the Olympic torch aloft in his left hand as hundreds cheered for a man who is an embodiment of sporting achievement in Britain.

“In a way, I’m back in the sport that I belong to,” he said. “I spent 10 years training before I broke the 4-minute mile.”