The torch relay of the 2002 Winter Olympics passes through Cincinnati, Ohio

The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games ^[1] Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, when a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Προμηθεύς "forethought" is a Titan known for his wily intelligence who stole Fire from Zeus The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca The Ancient Olympic Games, originally referred to as simply the Olympic Games (Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Olympiakoi Agones) were a series of Athletic The fire was reintroduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since. The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west The torch relay of modern times which transports the flame from Greece to the various designated sites of the games had no ancient precedent and was introduced by Carl Diem, with the support of Joseph Goebbels, at the controversial Berlin Olympics as a means to promote Nazi ideology. Dr Carl Diem (born June 24, 1882, Würzburg &ndash December 17, 1962, Cologne) was a German sports administrator and Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation ˈɡœbəls English generally ˈɡɝbəlz (29 October 1897 1 May 1945 was a German politician and Reich Minister of Public The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin ^[2]

Usage

The Olympic Torch today is ignited several months before the opening celebration of the Olympic Games at the site of the ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The Ancient Olympic Games, originally referred to as simply the Olympic Games (Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Olympiakoi Agones) were a series of Athletic Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Eleven women, representing the roles of priestesses, perform a ceremony in which the torch is kindled by the light of the Sun, its rays concentrated by a parabolic mirror. A parabolic reflector (or dish or mirror) is a Parabola -shaped reflective device used to collect or distribute Energy such as

The Olympic Torch Relay ends on the day of the opening ceremony in the central stadium of the Games. The final carrier is often kept secret until the last moment, and is usually a sports celebrity of the host country. The final bearer of the torch runs towards the cauldron, usually placed at the top of a grand staircase, and then uses the torch to start the flame in the stadium. It is considered a great honour to be asked to light the Olympic Flame. After being lit, the flame continues to burn throughout the Olympics.

Since the first Olympic games celebrated in the modern time, the Olympic Torch has become symbol of the peace between the continents (as well as the Olympiads, that share this role in our modern celebration).

History

Ancient Olympics

For the ancient Greeks, fire had divine connotations — it was thought to have been stolen from the gods by Prometheus. In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Προμηθεύς "forethought" is a Titan known for his wily intelligence who stole Fire from Zeus Therefore, fire was also present at many of the sanctuaries in Olympia, Greece. Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία A fire permanently burned on the altar of Hestia in Olympia, Greece. In Greek mythology, virginal Hestia, (Roman name Vesta daughter of Kronus and Rhea, ( ancient Greek) is the Goddess Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία During the Olympic Games, which honored Zeus, additional fires were lit at his temple and that of his wife, Hera. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera (ˈhɪərə or /ˈhɛrə/ Greek) or Here ( in Ionic and Homer The modern Olympic flame is ignited at the site where the temple of Hera used to stand.

The modern era

The Marathon Tower at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam, where the first modern Olympic Flame burnt in 1928

Olympic flame at Berlin games 1936

The Olympic Flame at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics

The Olympic Flame from the ancient games was reintroduced during the 1928 Olympic Games. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated An employee of the Electric Utility of Amsterdam, lit the first Olympic flame in the Marathon Tower of the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.

The modern convention of moving the Olympic Flame via a relay system from Olympia to the Olympic venue began with the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

The relay, captured in Leni Riefenstahl's film Olympia, was part of the Nazi propaganda machine’s attempt to add myth and mystique to Adolf Hitler’s regime. Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl ( August 22 1902 – September 8 2003) was a German Film director Olympia is a 1938 film by Leni Riefenstahl documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin Hitler saw the link with the ancient Games as the perfect way to illustrate his belief that classical Greece was an Aryan forerunner of the modern German Reich. Aryan is an English word derived from the Sanskrit " Ārya " meaning "noble" or "honorable" ^[3]

Although most of the time the torch with the Olympic Flame is still carried by runners, it has been transported in many different ways. The fire travelled by boat in 1948 to cross the English Channel and was carried by rowers in Canberra as well as by dragon boat in Hong Kong ^[4] in 2008, and it was first transported by airplane in 1952, when the fire travelled to Helsinki. Canberra ( is the capital city of Australia With a population of over 340000 it is Australia's largest inland City. A dragon boat or "dragonboat" is a very long and narrow human-powered Boat now used in the team Paddling sport of dragon boat Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. In 1956, all carriers in the torch relay to Stockholm, where the equestrian events were held instead of in Melbourne, travelled on horseback. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the

Remarkable means of transportation were used in 1976, when the flame was transformed to a radio signal. From Athens, this signal was transmitted by satellite to Canada^[5], where it was received and used to trigger a laser beam to re-light the flame. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A laser is a device that emits Light ( Electromagnetic radiation) through a process called Stimulated emission. In 2000, the torch was carried under water by divers near the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest Coral reef system in the world composed of over 2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for 2600 kilometres (1600 mi Other unique means of transportation include a Native American canoe, a camel, and Concorde. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors Camels are Even-toed ungulates within the Genus Camelus. The Dromedary, one-humped or Arabian camel has a single hump and the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[6] In 2004, the first global torch relay was undertaken, a journey that lasted 78 days. The 2004 Summer Olympics Torch Relay took the Olympic flame across every habitable Continent, returning to Athens, Greece. The Olympic flame covered a distance of more than 78,000 km in the hands of some 11,300 torchbearers, travelling to Africa and South America for the first time, visiting all previous Olympic cities and finally returning to Athens for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated

Another means of catching attention has been the lighting of the fire in the stadium. At the 1992 Barcelona Games, Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo shot a burning arrow over the cauldron from a platform at the opposite end of the stadium. The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Barcelona, The Paralympic Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical and sensorial disabilities Archery is the practice of using a bow or Crossbow to shoot Arrows Archery has historically been used in Hunting and Combat and has Ayoub Alkandery is the Paralympic archer who lit the Olympic Cauldron by shooting an arrow over it during the Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Summer Two years later, the Olympic fire was brought into the stadium of Lillehammer by a ski jumper. The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1994 Lillehammer is a town and municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. Ski jumping is a Sport in which skiers go down an "inrun" with a take-off ramp (the jump attempting to go as far as possible

Below is a list of all Olympic torch relays.

Summer Olympic Games

Winter Olympic Games

Lighters

Paavo Nurmi lights the Olympic fire in Helsinki in 1952. is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefecture by some is a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū is the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is a City designated by government ordinance (a "designated city" the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers on the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία St Augustine is the County seat of St Johns County, Florida, in the United States. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. The City of Cumberland is the county seat of Allegany County Maryland, United States, and a regional business and commercial center for Western Maryland Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The City of New York Lake Placid is a Village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Lexington (officially Lexington-Fayette Urban County is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 68th largest in the United States. Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley California, is one of the largest and most high-concept ski areas in the United States, and was Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers Boise (ˈbɔɪsi is the capital and most populous city of the U Bozeman is a city in and the County seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state Cheyenne ( /ʃaɪˈæn/ or /ʃaɪˈɛn/) is the capital of the U The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Bari ( Barium in Latin, Bàrion or Vàrion in Greek, Bare in Neapolitan Ancona (Ankon is a city and a seaport in the Marche, a region of central Italy, population 101909 (2005 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The City of San Marino is the Capital City of the Republic of San Marino on the Italian peninsula near the Adriatic Sea. The Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino is a country in the Apennine Mountains. Bologna (boloɲa from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in Bolognese dialect is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the Trieste (Trieste Slovene and Croatian: Trst; German: Triest) is a city and port in northeastern Italy very near to Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Ljubljana ( is the largest and Capital city of Slovenia. It is located in the center of the country and is a mid-sized city of some 270000 inhabitants Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Klagenfurt guildhall 19072006 01jpg|thumb|220px|City hall in Klagenfurt´s center Neuer Platz]] Klagenfurt am Wörthersee ( Slovene: Celovec) is the Capital Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Trento (traditional English Trent; Italian: Trento; German: Trient; Latin: Tridentum; Note that many Cortina d'Ampezzo (Hayden is a town and municipality in the Province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Lugano ( Latin language: Luganum) is a town (52993 inhabitants a total of 130000 people in the agglomeration in the south of Switzerland, in the Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Bardonecchia (Bardonèche or Bardonnèche Bardonecha is an Italian town and Comune located in the Province of Turin, in the Piedmont Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Grenoble is a city and commune in south-east France situated at the foot of the Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. 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Over the years, it has become a tradition to let famous athletes or former athletes be the last runner in the relay. The first well-known athlete to light the fire in the stadium was ninefold Olympic Champion Paavo Nurmi, who excited the home crowd in Helsinki in 1952. Paavo Johannes Nurmi ( ( 13 June 1897 &ndash 2 October 1973) was a Finnish runner. Other famous last bearers of the torch include French football star Michel Platini (1992), heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (1996) and Australian aboriginal runner Cathy Freeman (2000). This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Michel François Platini (born June 21, 1955) is a French former football player manager and current president of the UEFA. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, OAM (known as Cathy Freeman) (born 16 February 1973 is an Australian sprinter who is particularly associated with

On other occasions, the people who lit the fire in the stadium are not famous, but nevertheless symbolise Olympic ideals. Japanese runner Yoshinori Sakai was born in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the day the nuclear weapon Little Boy destroyed that city. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. was the Olympic flame torchbearer who lit the cauldron at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's Events 1538 - Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Little Boy was the Codename of the Atomic bomb, developed via the "Manhattan Project" which was dropped on Hiroshima, on August 6 1945 by the He symbolised the rebirth of Japan after the Second World War when he opened the 1964 Tokyo Games. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan At the 1976 Games in Montreal, two teenagers — one from the French-speaking part of the country, one from the English-speaking part — symbolised the unity of Canada. The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

Below is a full list of all persons who ended the Olympic Torch Relay by lighting the flame in the stadium.

• 1936 Summer Olympics: Fritz Schilgen, a track athlete. The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin Fritz Schilgen ( 8 September 1906 &ndash 12 September 2005) was a German athlete and the final torchbearer of the first He was not actually a competitor at the Olympics, but was chosen for his particularly graceful-looking running style.
• 1948 Summer Olympics: John Mark, a track athlete. The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in London
• 1952 Winter Olympics: Eigil Nansen, the grandson of polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen
• 1952 Summer Olympics: Paavo Nurmi, winner of nine Olympic gold medals in distance running in the 1920s. The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Eigil Nansen (Born 18 June 1931 is the son of architect and humanist Odd Nansen and the grandson of explorer and humanist Fridtjof Nansen. Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen (October 10 1861 – May 13 1930 was a Norwegian Explorer, Scientist and Diplomat. The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland Paavo Johannes Nurmi ( ( 13 June 1897 &ndash 2 October 1973) was a Finnish runner.
• 1956 Winter Olympics: Guido Caroli, a speed skater who participated in the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics. The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Skating with the torch, he tripped over a television cable but kept the flame burning.
• 1956 Summer Olympics: Ron Clarke and Hans Wikne (Stockholm). The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne Ronald (Ron William Clarke (born February 21, 1937 in Victoria) is a former Australian athlete mayor and writer and one of the the best Long distance runner Clarke would later win an Olympic bronze medal in 1964 ; Hans Wikne later participated in the 1964 Olympics.
• 1960 Winter Olympics: Ken Henry, Olympic champion in 500 m speed skating at the 1952 Games. The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated between February This article is about the American speedskater For the Secretary of the Australian Department of the Treasury, see Ken Henry (Australian public servant.
• 1960 Summer Olympics: Giancarlo Peris, track athlete of Greek descent. The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event held in Rome, Italy Giancarlo Peris (born November 4, 1941) an Italian track athlete of Greek descent was the final bearer of the Olympic torch
• 1964 Winter Olympics: Joseph Rieder, a former alpine skier who had taken part in the 1956 Olympics. The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck
• 1964 Summer Olympics: Yoshinori Sakai, track and field athlete, born on the day the atom bomb exploded over his native Hiroshima. The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan was the Olympic flame torchbearer who lit the cauldron at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
• 1968 Winter Olympics: Alain Calmat, former figure skater, winner of the silver medal in the 1964 Olympics. The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 Alain Calmat (born August 31, 1940, in Paris) is a French former competitive Figure skater, Surgeon, and Politician
• 1968 Summer Olympics: Norma Enriqueta Basilio de Sotelo, a sprinter who participated in these Olympics. The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Mexico City Norma Enriqueta Basilio (born July 15, 1948) is a Mexican athlete She was the first woman to be the last torch bearer.
• 1972 Winter Olympics: Hideki Takada, a student and speed skater. The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated from
• 1972 Summer Olympics: Günther Zahn, a middle distance runner. The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Munich, in what was
• 1976 Winter Olympics: Christl Haas and Josef Feistmantl. The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated February Christl Haas ( September 19, 1943 &ndash July 8, 2001) was an Austrian alpine skiing champion at the 1964 Winter Olympics Josef Feistmantl (born February 23, 1939) was an Austrian Luger who competed from the mid 1950s to the early 1970s Haas won the Olympic downhill title in 1964; Feistmantl won the luge doubles in the same year. A luge is a small one- or two-person Sled on which one sleds supine (face up and feet-first
• 1976 Summer Olympics: Stéphane Préfontaine and Sandra Henderson, two teenagers. The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec
• 1980 Winter Olympics: Charles Gugino, a professional from Nevada who had been elected from all bearers to run the final part. The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in February
• 1980 Summer Olympics: Sergey Belov, basketball player who won four Olympic medals, including a gold in 1972. The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Sergei Alexandrovich Belov (Серге́й Алекса́ндрович Бело́в born January 23, 1944 in the village of Nashchyokovo
• 1984 Winter Olympics: Sanda Dubravčić, a figure skater who participated in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Sarajevo Sanda Dubravčić-Šimunjak (born 1964 in Zagreb) is a Croatian Figure skater who competed internationally for Yugoslavia.
• 1984 Summer Olympics: Rafer Johnson, winner of the decathlon at the 1960 Olympics. The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, Rafer Lewis Johnson (born August 18, 1935) is a former American decathlete.
• 1988 Winter Olympics: Robyn Perry, a 12-year-old schoolgirl and figure skater. The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Calgary
• 1988 Summer Olympics: Sohn Kee-chung, marathon gold medalist in 1936, carried the torch into the stadium, and the relay was continued by Chung Sun-Man, Kim Won-Tak and Sohn Mi-Chung, three young track and field athletes. The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event staged in 1988 in Sohn Kee-Chung ( August 29, 1912 &ndash November 15, 2002) became the first medal-winning Korean Olympian when he won the The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin Kim took part in the Olympic marathon.
• 1992 Winter Olympics: Michel Platini and François-Cyrille Grange, both football players. The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was staged in 1992 Michel François Platini (born June 21, 1955) is a French former football player manager and current president of the UEFA. Platini took part in the Olympics in 1976; Grange was eight years old at the time.
• 1992 Summer Olympics: Antonio Rebollo, an archer who competed in the Paralympic Games. The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Barcelona, Ayoub Alkandery is the Paralympic archer who lit the Olympic Cauldron by shooting an arrow over it during the Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Summer
• 1994 Winter Olympics: Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1994 Family and heritage Haakon's godparents are King Olav V of Norway, Princess Astrid of Norway, Prince Carl Bernadotte, King Carl XVI Gustaf Both his father and grandfather took part in the Olympics.
• 1996 Summer Olympics: Muhammad Ali, the boxer who, under the name Cassius Clay, won Olympic gold in 1960. The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942
• 1998 Winter Olympics: Midori Ito, figure skater, winner of Olympic silver in 1992. The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1998 Midori Ito (born August 13, 1969) is a former Japanese Figure skater.
• 2000 Summer Olympics: Cathy Freeman, a track and field athlete. "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, OAM (known as Cathy Freeman) (born 16 February 1973 is an Australian sprinter who is particularly associated with She won the gold medal in the 400 m at these Olympics.
• 2002 Winter Olympics: The entire U.S. ice hockey team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1980. The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 The
• 2004 Summer Olympics: Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, windsurfer (Olympic Windsurfing Class), 1996 Olympic gold medalist, 2004 Olympic silver medalist. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Nikolaos "Nikos" Kaklamanakis (Νικόλαος Κακλαμανάκης born August 19, 1968 in Athens) is the Greek Gold-medal winner Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated
• 2006 Winter Olympics: Stefania Belmondo, Italian gold medalist cross-country skier. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Stefania Belmondo (born January 13, 1969) is an Italian former cross-country skier. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a Winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields primarily Northern Europe,

Cauldron

The olympic flame at the Opening Ceremony, Athens 2004 Games

The cauldron and the pedestal it sits on are always the subject of unique and often dramatic design. The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a Symbol of the Olympic Games. These also tie in with how the cauldron is lit during the Opening Ceremony.

• In Barcelona in 1992, an archer shot a flaming arrow immediately over the cauldron to light it. Archery is the practice of using a bow or Crossbow to shoot Arrows Archery has historically been used in Hunting and Combat and has ^[7]
• In Atlanta in 1996, the cauldron was an artistic scroll decorated in red and gold, which some compared to a french fry box from major Olympic sponsor McDonald's and used as an example of the heavy commercialization of those Games. A scroll is a roll of Papyrus, Parchment, or Paper which has been written drawn or painted upon for the purpose of transmitting information or using as It was lit by boxing legend Muhammed Ali, using a string that traveled the flame from the stadium to its final resting place. Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 ^[8] At the 1996 Summer Paralympics, the scroll was lit by a paraplegic climber hoisting himself up a rope to the cauldron. The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship Paraplegia is an impairment in motor and/or sensory function of the lower extremities UserStan Shebs for a timetable --> Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet (or
• For the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Cathy Freeman walked across a circular pool of water and ignited the cauldron through the water, surrounding herself within a ring of fire. "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman, OAM (known as Cathy Freeman) (born 16 February 1973 is an Australian sprinter who is particularly associated with The cauldron then rose out of the water around her and travelled up a cascasding water fall up one of the sides of the stadium, where it finally rested on a tall silver pedestal.
• For the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the cauldron was in the shape of a giant needle which bowed down to accept the flame from windsurfer Nikolaos Kaklamanakis. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Nikolaos "Nikos" Kaklamanakis (Νικόλαος Κακλαμανάκης born August 19, 1968 in Athens) is the Greek Gold-medal winner
• In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Stefania Belmondo placed the flame on an arched lighting apparatus, which initiated a series of fireworks before lighting the top of the 57-meter high Olympic Cauldron, the highest in the history of the Winter Olympic Games. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Stefania Belmondo (born January 13, 1969) is an Italian former cross-country skier. ^[9]

Controversy

2008 Olympic Torch passes through London

The torch ceremony is seen by some as controversial. During one incident in the 1956 Summer Games in Melbourne, nine Australian students, most notably Barry Larkin, staged a hoax during the relay when the torch entered Sydney. The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 Barry Larkin is a Veterinary surgeon from Melbourne, Australia, most noted for performing a Hoax during the 1956 Summer Olympics Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The students wanted to protest against what they saw as "Too much reverence," to the flame, considering the Nazi origins. Larkin pretended to be an Olympic athlete, carrying a fake torch made out of a burning pair of underpants and a plum pudding can on the end of a chair leg. He presented it to the mayor of Sydney, Pat Hills, and escaped before anyone realised he was an imposter. Patrick Darcy 'Pat' Hills AO ( 31 December 1917 - 22 April 1992) was a New South Wales politician ^[10]

The torch has raised disputes about the sovereignty of the regions that it passes. The 2008 Beijing Games had initially planned for the torch to pass through the island of Taiwan before going to Hong Kong and Macau and then to mainland China. Taiwan rejected this on the basis that they wished the flame to enter the island/country by a 'third party country' and leave the island/country by a 'fourth party country', so that the torch will not downgrade Taiwan's sovereignty. Negotiations did not work out by the deadline set by the International Olympic Committee. ^[11]

Plans to carry the 2008 torch up the top of Mount Everest^[12] have also been met with opposition by Tibetan government-in-exile and its followers. The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay has become the focus of Chinese political issues in a similar way to that of past Olympiads. The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Serious unrest occurred during protests about China's treatment of Tibet in April 2008 when the Olympic Torch was paraded through many western cities on its world tour ahead of the Beijing Olympics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European

Extinguishing the Flame

It is not uncommon for the Olympic flame to be accidentally or deliberately extinguished during the course of the relay, and on at least one occasion the cauldron itself has gone out during the Games. To guard against this eventuality, multiple "versions" of the flame are transported with the relay or maintained in backup locations. When a torch goes out, it is re-lit (or another torch is lit) from one of the backup sources. Thus, the fires contained in the torches and Olympic cauldrons all trace a common lineage back to the same Olympia lighting ceremony. However, the lighting ceremony, relay and cauldron lighting process does not feature one flame being passed forward in an unbroken chain.

One of the more memorable extinguishings occurred at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Canada. The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page After a rainstorm that doused the Olympic flame a few days after the games had opened, an official re-lit the flame using his cigarette lighter. Organizers quickly doused it again and relit it using a backup of the original flame.

When the Olympic flame came to the Panathinaiko Stadium, stadium of the 2004 Summer Olympics, to start the global torch relay, the night was very windy and the torch, lit by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, blew out due to the wind, but was re-lit from the back up flame taken from the original ceremonial flame at Olympia. The Panathinaiko ( Panathenaic) Stadium (also known as the Kallimarmaron, i The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki (born Gianna Daskalaki on December 12, 1955 in Heraklion, Crete) is a Greek politician and business

In 2008 the Olympic torch was extinguished at least two times by Chinese officials (five times according to French police^[13]) so that it could be transported in a bus amid protests while it was being paraded through Paris. The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. ^{[14] [15]} This eventually led to the cancellation of the relay's last leg in the city. ^[16] The flame itself, however, remained preserved in the back-up lantern used to keep it overnight and on airplanes, and the torch is relit using this.

Organisors for the 2008 Olympic relay were informed that the 2008 Olympic torch required relighting every 15 minutes. ^[17]

See also

• 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay
• 2004 Summer Olympics torch relay
• Eternal Flame
• Flame of Hope
• International Olympic Committee
• Olympic Oath
• Queen's Baton Relay, an analogous relay associated with the Commonwealth Games
• Panamerican Torch, a torch relay associated with the Panamerican Games
• Asian Games Torch, a torch relay associated with the Asian Games

References

• Volker Kluge. The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. The 2004 Summer Olympics Torch Relay took the Olympic flame across every habitable Continent, returning to Athens, Greece. An eternal flame is a flame or torch that burns constantly The flame that burned constantly at Delphi, was an archaic feature "alien to the ordinary Greek temple" 1 The Flame of Hope is a flame that was lit in 1989 as a tribute to Dr The Olympic Oath is taken by one athlete and one judge at the opening ceremonies of each Olympic Games. The Queen's Baton Relay, similar to the Olympic Torch Relay is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of the Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Pan American Games are a Multi-sport event, held every four years between competitors from all nations of The Americas. The Pan American Games are a Multi-sport event, held every four years between competitors from all nations of The Americas. The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a Multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. 1997-2004. Olympische Sommerspiele – Die Chronik. Five volumes. Sportverlag except Vol. 5 (Südwest-Verlag). ISBN 3-328-00715-6; ISBN 3-328-00740-7; ISBN 3-328-00741-5; ISBN 3-328-00830-6; ISBN 3-517-06732-6.

Notes

External links

• IOC brochure on the history of Olympic Flame (1 MB PDF)
• Sondre Norheim - on the three occasions when the Olympic Flame was lit in Morgedal
• Olympic torch technology
• Olympic Torch Relay
• Olympic Torch, London 1948. Metalwork. Victoria and Albert Museum. The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design housing a permanent collection Retrieved on 2007-11-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land
• BBC article on the history of the torch
• The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936 - online exhibition