The history 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 gave it to people. How did the modern history of the Olympic flame begin? More on this later in the article.
When did the Olympic flame begin to be lit?
In what 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 was held. The author of the idea was Joseph Goebbels. The Ritual of the Relay of Fire then perfectly suited the ideological doctrine of the Nazis. He embodied several symbols and ideas at once. The torch was designed by W alter Lemke. A total of 3840 pieces were made. The torch was 27 centimeters long and weighed 450 grams. It was made from stainless steel. A total of 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 there were no international competitions. The reason was the 2nd World War started by Hitler.
The history of the Olympic flame has already continuedsince 1948 - then the following games took place. London became the host of the competition. Two variants of 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 at the stadium. It was made of stainless steel, and magnesium burned inside it. This allowed even in the bright light of day to see the burning fire. The first Relay of the Winter Games started 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. The skiers decided to deliver the symbol of the International Games to Oslo. For these competitions, 95 torches were made, the handle of each had a length of 23 centimeters. The bowl featured 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 were attached to them (1600 pieces in total), each was enough for about 20 minutes of burning. In this regard, they had to be changed relatively often. The symbol of the games was made in the form of a bowl planted on a birch handle. The next games were held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, in northern Italy. Part of the Torch Relay then went on roller skates. Probably one of the prototypes for the design of the symbol of the games in Australia was a variant created for the London competitions. Simultaneously with the Australian Olympicsequestrian competitions were held in Stockholm. In this regard, the symbol of the games went to two countries at once: Sweden and Australia.
Squaw Valley, Rome, Tokyo
The organization of the closing and opening ceremonies of the 1960 International Games in California 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 games symbol was inspired by antique sculptures. The Olympic flame was delivered to Tokyo 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 into one.
Grenoble, Mexico City, Sapporo
The route of the Olympic flame through France was filled with adventure. So, through the Puy de Sancy mountain pass, the symbol of the games had to be literally crawled because of a snow storm. Through the port of Marseille, the torch was carried by a swimmer in an outstretched hand. The relay race in Mexico City is considered the most traumatic. All three hundred torches outwardly looked like whisks used to beat eggs. At the opening ceremony of the competition, a woman lit a bowl of flame for the first time. Inside the torches was fuel, which turned out to be highly flammable. During the Relay, several runners suffered 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 carried in different directions tothe torch was able to greet as many people as possible.
Munich, Innsbruck, Montreal
The torch of the games 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, a sealed torch was used. The "relative" of the Munich 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 at once - a sign that the competitions are being held here for the second time. "Space" transmission of the flame took place in honor of the opening of the games in Montreal. At these competitions, special attention was paid to how the fire would look from TV screens. To enhance the effect, it was placed in a black square mounted on a red handle. Until that moment, the history of the Olympic flame had not yet known such a transmission of the flame. In the form of a laser beam, with the help of a satellite, it was transferred from continent to continent: to Ottawa from Athens. In Canada, the cup was lit in the traditional way.
Lake Placid, Moscow, Sarajevo
The relay race 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 states of the United States. A total of 26 women and 26 men ran. The symbol of the competition did not feature any new design. In Moscow, the torch again takes on an unusual shape with a gold top and goldthe same decorative detail on the handle 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 the Soviet officials saw the result, they were extremely disappointed. The Japanese, of course, apologized, moreover, they paid a pen alty to Moscow. After the manufacture was entrusted to the Leningrad representative office of the Ministry of Aviation Industry. Torch for games in Moscow eventually became quite convenient. Its length was 550 mm and weight - 900 grams. It was made of aluminum and steel, a nylon gas cylinder was built inside.
Los Angeles, Calgary, Seoul
The 1984 US Olympics were full of scandals. Firstly, the organizers offered the athletes to run their stages for 3,000 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. For the first time, the slogan of the competition was engraved on the symbol of the games in Calgary. The torch itself was relatively heavy, weighing about 1.7 kg. It was made in the form of a tower - the sights of Calgary. Pictograms were made on the handle with a laser, which personified winter sports. A torch made of copper, leather and plastic was prepared for the games in Seoul. Its design bore similarities to its 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.
Alberville, Barcelona, Lillehammer
Games inFrance (in Albertville) marked the beginning of an era of extravagant designs for the symbol of the competition. Philippe Starck, who became famous for his furniture, was involved in the creation of the torch shape. The torch of the games in Barcelona was radically different from all the previous ones. The symbol was designed by André Ricard. According to the author's idea, the torch was supposed to express the "Latin" character. The bowl at the opening ceremony was lit by an archer who shot an arrow straight into its center. A ski jumper carried the torch into the Lillehammer stadium, holding it at arm's length in flight. As before the competition in Oslo, the flame was lit not in Greece, but in Mordegal. But the Greeks protested, and the fire was brought to Lillehammer from Greece. He was entrusted to the ski jumper.
Sochi Games 2014
The layout of the torch, its concept and project were invented by Vladimir Pirozhkov. Initially, polycarbonate and titanium were assumed as materials for its manufacture. However, aluminum was used in production. This torch has become one of the heaviest of all that have ever been. Its weight was more than one and a half kilograms (the photo of the Olympic flame in Sochi is presented above). The height of the "feather" is 95 centimeters, at its widest point the width is 14.5 cm, and the thickness is 5.4 centimeters. This is a 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 loved by adults as well.
