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Lighting the Flame

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Lighting the Flame TORCH RELAY l;!rcti Ri-Liy LIGHTING THE FLAME THE 2008 OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY WILL SEE THE FLAME EMBARK ON A RECORD-BREAKING JOURNEY THAT FOLLOWS A LONG TRADITION OF WHAT IS NOW AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE GAMES. JANET CAHILL REPORTS Above Crossing he 2008 Olympic flame will be lit from the sun's rays in the the River Thames traditional ceremony in Olympia, Greece, on 24 March, The 2008 at Windsor during TOlympic Torch Relay will travel through Greece for six days, then the 1948 Relay the flame will be handed over to the Beijing Organising Committee Right Norma (BOCOG) on 30 March at the site of the first modern Games in 1896, the Enriqueta Basilio Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens. The flame will fty to Beijing, where a prepares to light secondary lantern will be lit to take the flame to the 8,300m peak of the cauldron at Mt. Qomolangma (Everest). The great challenge will not only be in reaching the climax of the the peak on time, but keeping the flame alive; if successful, this will be 1968 Relay the highest altitude at which an Olympic flame has ever burned, and >• 40 OLYMPIC REVIEW '^49^ OLYMPIC REVIEW 41 TORCH RELAY satellite TV coverage is due to beam the moment to and softness, implicitness and elegance in traditional • The base will have four legs with eight faces - the worid. Meanwhile, the Olympic Torch Relay will Chinese arts". offering a welcome to Olympic friends from all make its journey to 19 cities outside China from 2 April The Olympic torch is always designed to reflect directions across the worid to 30 April including Almaty, Istanbul, St Petersburg, the history or culture of the host nation. The 2008 • It stands 130cm high to celebrate the 130-day London, Paris, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Dar Es torch, designed by Worldwide TOP Partner Lenovo, duration of the Torch Relay Salaam, Muscat, Islamabad, Delhi, Bangkok, Kuala continues this tradition with a torch in the shape of a • The cauldron plate is 29cm deep, symbolising Tdfch Relay Lumpur, Jakarta, Canberra, Nagano, Seoul, Pyongyang Chinese paper scroll, and covered with clouds, thus the 29th Olympiad and Ho Chi Minh City. The Torch Relay will then make representing traditional Chinese symbols and • The cauldron post is 112cm tall, measured for the OQ9" its way through Hong Kong and Macau, before concepts. 112 years of Olympic Games in the modern era: visiting 113 cities in mainland China. Continuous and reliable flame techniques improve 1896-2008. Completing its longest journey ever at 137,000km, with each Olympiad and this new generation of torch The main Olympic cauldron that will hold the the flame will be relayed by neariy 21,800 should react particularly well to the varying flame for the duration of the Games is typically not torchbearers over a period of 130 days before it environmental conditions it has to endure. Each torch presented to the worid until the Opening Ceremony, Below The torch arrives at Its final destination in Beijing on 8 August can burn for up to 15 minutes. A uniquely designed when it will no doubt be lit in spectacular goes underwater 2008 to commence the opening of the Beijing torch stand will be used at Ceremony stopovers to Chinese fashion. as it is carried 2008 Olympic Games. support the torch. The design of the stand is inspired over the Great The theme of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch by the architectural styles of the Han and Tang HISTORY OF THE OLYMPIC Barrier Reef Relay is "Journey of Harmony" and the slogan is dynasties, and the base is in keeping with the cloud TORCH RELAY during the Sydney "Light the Passion, Share the Dream". The design of concept for the Olympic torch. History suggests that the flame was born in a temple 2000 Relay the torch draws much of its inspiration from the The Beijing Olympic community cauldrons will be erected by the ancient Greeks to honour Hera, a Opposite page "Lucky Cloud" design, symbolising a harmonious used to share the flame with all people attending the powertui Queen of the mythological gods. To kindle Torch bearers coexistence. The cloud symbol is also one of harmony community celebrations. The cauldrons will be based the ftame, the ancient Greeks used a skaphia (a type Emanuela and is often represented in works of Chinese on the concept of a "round heaven and square earth" of crucible) to concentrate the sun's rays and set fire Pierantozzi in front architecture, drawing and painting, furniture and and will use a typical cauldron from the Chinese to dry grass. Vestal virgins dedicated their lives to of the Colosseum story-telling. Bronze Age as well as the "lucky clouds" theme as its guarding the sacred Olympic fire to ensure that it in Rome, and The Torch Relay graphic combines the phoenix, creative elements. The design of the cauldron will was never extinguished. Inspired by this ancient footballing legend which is the king of birds and the spirit of fire, into the also reftect Chinese culture and Olympic history: ceremony, it is re-enacted in modern-day Olympia Pele during the lucky cloud design. Both elements are considered as • There will be 56 "lucky clouds" hollowed out of by Greek women portraying "vestal virgins" and Athens lucky Chinese symbols. BOCOG describes this graphic the curved plate, representing the 56 ethnic using a parabolic mirror (concave in shape) to light 2004 Relay as "expressing the unique integration of hardness groups in China the flame for the ensuing Olympic Games. Although a symbolic fire was first lit at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, it was not until the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin that an Olympic flame was lit in Olympia and a torch relay was introduced. Leni Reifenstahl, a German film director dancer and actress, showcased the first Olympic Torch Relay to the worid on film, and it became a tradition for each ensuing Games as a prelude to their opening. The fire as a powerful and ancient symbol suggests: sacrifice - representing the efforts made by athletes in achieving their goals; purity - recognising the humble achievements of torchbearers; goodwill - shown by sponsors and supporters of the Torch Relay to the community; and quality - as recognised symbols and representing one of the most successful sporting events in the world. The Torch Relay is a powerful way in which many people become involved in the Olympic Games, both as torchbearers and spectators, and is a way in which the Games can touch a particular community. The Torch Relay becomes a focus for local celebrations and pride. The presence of the Olympic flame in a particular region may be the only Olympic event experienced first-hand by many people, thus bonding them to the celebration of the Olympic Games. In the modern era, the Olympic flame and torch have become two of the greatest symbols of 42 OLYMPIC REVIEW www.olympicorg TORCH RELAY Olympism. Together they have been transported thousands of miles by torchbearers on land, numerous times across the skies in planes, and In one journey the flame was even transmitted as coded Impulses via satellite (Montreal 1976). They have sped down a ski jump (Lillehammer 1994), walked a tightrope (Albertville 1992) and flown on the back of an arrow (Barcelona 1992). They have had an aeroplane painted with their logo and named "Zeus" (Athens 2004), and in 2008 another aircraft will be painted and named in their honour The Olympic flame and torch have been carried underwater by a scuba diver at the Great Barrier Reef; ridden on the back of a camel; and a replica Olympic torch travelled into space aboard the space shuttles Columbus (Atlanta 1996) and Attantis (Sydney 2000). As a symbolic reminder of the truce during the ancient Olympic Games, the ftrst runner in Greece, Corporal Dlmitrelis, took off his uniform and weapons before the run and instead ran in sports clothes (London 1948), Over the years, the Olympic flame and torch have visited deserts, beaches, rainforests, snowflelds, cities and rural areas in many countries, across all continents of the world. The Olympic Torch Relay offers a host nation an unparalleled opportunity to showcase its culture, history, business, and tourism to the watchful worid. It has a remarkable ability to sway the emotions of a crowd in a wave of euphoria passing over the relay route. It is magic to be witnessed at least once in a lifetime. Traditionally, torchbearers are chosen because they are worthy role models of the ideals of Olympism. They are "local heroes" who may have made significant contributions to their community, have participated in building of a harmonious society, or are perhaps distinguished in their profession or community. In their role as a torchbearer they are acknowledged and honoured in their role as guardian, and carrier of the Olympic flame. • OLYMPIC REVIEW 43 ..?ì^"'. •')!'':L^h'f'".-'' TORCH RELAY SIR STEVE SYLVESTER REDGRAVE STALLONE Five-time Olympic gold medallist, Hollywood actor, Los London (2004) Angeles (2004) "The atmosphere was absolutely "I was honoured to be asked by tremendous. You think you have done it Samsung to be a torchbearer and to be all competing at the Games but coming part of the Olympic spirit, which is all down The Mall (in London) was right up about setting goals for yourself and there with everything I've done before." striving to do your best. It was the proudest moment of my life. I just hope CONSTANTINE I was able to live up to what the flame CATHY VEREVIS represents, which is honour dignity and FREEMAN that never-say-die spirit." President, Australian 56ers Sydney 400m gold medallist, Torchbearers Club, Melbourne (1956) Sydney (2000) "Back in those days, we played so * "Carrying the Olympic torch and lighting much sport that when they [Olympic the flame for the start of the Sydney Torch Relay organisers] asked me to run Games was one of the greatest moments a mile with a torch, I didn't think much of my life.
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