The story of the Olympic flame originates in ancient Greece. This tradition reminded people of the feat of Prometheus. According to legend, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and presented it to people. How did the modern history of the Olympic flame begin? More on this later in the article.
When did they start lighting the torch of the Olympic flame?
In which city did the tradition of ancient Greece continue? In 1928, the modern history of the Olympic flame began in Amsterdam. Before the games in Berlin, in 1936, the first relay race was held. The author of the idea was Joseph Goebbels. The ceremony of the Relay of fire perfectly fit then the ideological doctrine of the Nazis. He embodied several symbols and ideas at once. The design of the torch was coined by Walter Lemke. A total of 3840 pieces were manufactured. The torch was 27 centimeters long and weighed 450 grams. It was made of stainless steel. In total, 3331 runners participated in the relay. At the opening ceremony of the games in Berlin, the Olympic flame was lit by Fritz Schilgen. Over the next few years, no international competition was held. The reason was the 2nd World War launched by Hitler.
The history of the Olympic flame has continued since 1948 - then the following games took place. The host of the competition was London. Two torches were made. The first was for the Relay. It was made of aluminum, fuel tablets were placed inside it. The second option was intended for the final stage in the stadium. It was made of stainless steel, and inside it burned magnesium. This allowed even in bright daylight to see a burning fire. The first relay of the winter games began in the Norwegian town of Morgedal. This place was very popular among slalomists and ski jumpers. I must say that in Norway there has long been a tradition of skiing at night with a torch in hand. Skiers decided to deliver the symbol of the International Games in Oslo. For these competitions 95 torches were made, the hilt of each had a length of 23 centimeters. On the bowl was an arrow that connected Oslo and Morgedal.
Helsinki, Cortina, Melbourne
Finns were the most economical. A total of 22 torches were made for the Helsinki Olympics. Gas cartridges (a total of 1600 pieces) were attached to them, each lasting approximately 20 minutes for burning. In this regard, they needed to be changed relatively often. The symbol of the games was made in the form of a bowl mounted on a birch hilt. The following games took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, in northern Italy. A portion of the Fire Relay then passed on roller skates. Probably one of the prototypes of the design of the symbol of the games in Australia was the option created for the London competition. Equestrian competitions were held in Stockholm at the same time as the Australian Olympics. In this regard, the symbol of the games went immediately to two countries: Sweden and Australia.
Squaw Valley, Rome, Tokyo
The organization of the closing and opening ceremonies of the 1960s California International Games was entrusted to Disney. The design of the competition symbol combined elements of the Melbourne and London torches. In the same year, the games were held in Rome. The design of the symbol of the games was inspired by the author of ancient sculptures. In Tokyo, the Olympic flame was delivered by land, sea and air. In Japan itself, the flame was divided, it was carried in 4 directions and connected at the end of the relay race into one.
Grenoble, Mexico City, Sapporo
The route of the Olympic flame through France was filled with adventure. So, through the mountain pass Puy de Sancy, the symbol of the games had to be carried literally crawling due to a snow storm. Through the port of Marseilles, the swimmer carried the torch in his outstretched arm. The most traumatic is considered to be the relay race of games in Mexico City. All three hundred torches outwardly looked like corollas with which they beat eggs. At the opening ceremony of the competition, a woman lit a chalice with a flame for the first time. Inside the torches was fuel that turned out to be flammable. In the relay process, several runners received burns. During the games in Sapporo, the length of the relay was more than five thousand kilometers, and more than 16 thousand people participated in it. The height of the torch was 70.5 cm. Just like before the competition in Tokyo, this time the flame was divided and it was carried in different directions so that the torch could greet as many people as possible.
Munich, Innsbruck, Montreal
The games torch in Munich was made of stainless steel. In various weather conditions, in addition to extremely hot, he passed tests for endurance. When, on the way to Germany from Greece, the air temperature rose to 46 degrees, an airtight torch was used. Munich's "Relative" became the symbol of the games in Innsbruck. Like the previous one, it was made in the form of a sword, which was decorated with Olympic rings at the top . At the opening ceremony, two bowls were lit right away - as a sign that the competition was being held here for the second time. The "cosmic" transfer of flame took place in honor of the opening of the games in Montreal. At these competitions, special attention was paid to how the fire from the TV screens will look. To enhance the effect, it was placed in a black square mounted on a red handle. Until now, the history of the Olympic flame did not know such a flame transfer. In the form of a laser beam using a satellite, it was transferred from continent to continent: to Ottawa from Athens. In Canada, the bowl was lit in the traditional way.
Lake Placid, Moscow, Sarajevo
The relay in honor of the games in the USA began where the first settlements were founded by the British. The number of participants in the race was small, and they all represented the United States. A total of 26 women and 26 men fled. The competition symbol was not distinguished by any new design. In Moscow, the torch again takes on an unusual shape with a gold top and a gold decorative detail on the hilt with the emblem of the games. Before the competition, the manufacture of the symbol was ordered by a fairly large company in Japan. But after Soviet officials saw the result, they were extremely disappointed. The Japanese, of course, apologized, moreover, they paid a penalty to Moscow. After manufacturing, it was entrusted to the Leningrad representative office of the Ministry of Aviation Industry. The torch for games in Moscow in the end became quite convenient. Its length was 550 mm and its weight was 900 grams. It was made of aluminum and steel, a gas nylon cylinder was built inside.
Los Angeles, Calgary, Seoul
The Olympics in the United States in 1984 passed with scandals. Firstly, the organizers suggested that athletes run their stages for 3 thousand dollars / km. Of course, this caused a wave of indignation among the founders of the competition - the Greeks. The torch was made of steel and brass, the handle was trimmed with leather. The slogan of the competition was first engraved on the symbol of the games in Calgary. The torch itself was relatively heavy, weighed about 1.7 kg. It was made in the form of a tower - the sights of Calgary. Pictograms were made on the hilt with a laser, which personified winter sports. A torch made of copper, leather and plastic was prepared for the games in Seoul. Its design was similar to the Canadian predecessor. A distinctive feature of the symbol of the games in Seoul was a truly Korean engraving: two dragons, which symbolized the harmony of East and West.
Albertville, Barcelona, Lillehammer
Games in France (in Albertville) marked the beginning of an era of extravagant designs of the symbol of competition. Philip Stark, who became famous for his furniture, was involved in creating the shape of the torch. The torch of games in Barcelona was radically different from all previous ones. The symbol design was invented by Andre Ricard. As conceived by the author, the torch was to express a "Latin" character. The bowl at the opening ceremony was lit by an archer, who shot an arrow right at its center. The torch introduced into the Lillehammer Stadium, holding in flight on an outstretched arm, a ski jumper. As before the competition in Oslo, the flame was lit not in Greece, but in Mordegal. But the Greeks protested, and the fire was delivered to Lillehammer from Greece. He was entrusted with a ski jumper.
Games in Sochi 2014
The layout of the torch, its concept and design were invented by Vladimir Pirozhkov. Initially, polycarbonate and titanium were assumed as materials for its manufacture. However, aluminum was used in the production. This torch has become one of the hardest of all that has ever been. Its weight was more than one and a half kilograms (photo of the Olympic flame in Sochi is presented above). The height of the “pen” is 95 centimeters, in the widest place the width is 14.5 cm, and the thickness is 5.4 centimeters. Such is the brief history of the Olympic flame. For children living in Russia, the games in Sochi have become a truly significant event. The symbolism of the competition has become beloved by adults.