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.
The Olympic torch relay: “a symbol of peace, friendship, tolerance and hope”
A relay precedes the arrival of the flame at its final destination: the Olympic stadium in the host city of the Olympic Games. The Organising committee of the Olympic Games is responsible for bringing the Olympic flame to the Olympic stadium (Olympic Charter, Rule 54).
The ceremony itself is largely symbolic and is used to connect the Games of Ancient Greece to the modern Olympics. As the name suggests, the Olympic flame will be lit during the ceremony, which is held at the site of the first Olympic Games of Antiquity in Ancient Olympia, Greece.
Each Olympic Games organizing Committee has designed a unique torch for the relay. There are descriptions of each torch below.
At a solemn ceremony in Olympia, Greece, on July 20, 1936, the searing rays of the midday sun, concentrated by a parabolic mirror, kindled the Olympic flame.
So far the Olympic Flame went out 5 times. In 1976 in Montreal the fire went out due to intensive rain. In Athens in 2004 the flame went down on the historical stadium of 1896. During Beijing Games of 2008 it was gone due to "technical issues".
The torch is a common emblem of both enlightenment and hope. Crossed reversed torches were signs of mourning that appear on Greek and Roman funerary monuments—a torch pointed downwards symbolizes death, while a torch held up symbolizes life, truth and the regenerative power of flame.
The Olympic torch relay is the ceremonial relaying of the Olympic flame from Olympia, Greece, to the site of an Olympic Games. It was first performed at the 1936 Berlin Games, and has taken place prior to every Games since.
People who have lit the Olympic cauldron
| Games | Location | Lighter |
|---|
| 2004 Summer | Athens | Nikolaos Kaklamanakis |
| 2006 Winter | Turin | Stefania Belmondo |
| 2008 Summer | Beijing | Li Ning |
| 2010 Winter | Vancouver | Steve Nash (indoor cauldron) |
“The Olympic flag has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red. This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time.”
In A.D. 393, Emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, called for a ban on all “pagan” festivals, ending the ancient Olympic tradition after nearly 12 centuries.
IWAKI, JAPAN - MARCH 25: The Olympic flame is preserved in the lantern during the 'Flame of Recovery' special exhibition at Aquamarine Park in Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan.
Q. What does the Olympic Flame symbolize? Notes: Olympic symbolizes the Continuity between new and ancient games.
