All about the Olympic Torch
The Olympic torch is the symbol of the Olympics that everyone knows. It is instantly recognisable and has been in action since the beginning of the ancient games in Olympia in Greece. The Olympic torch is an important part of the history of the Olympic Games.
The legend of the Olympic torch is that it commemorates the theft of the Greek god Zeus’s fire by Prometheus. Its actual origin is from the ancient Greek, they kept a fire burning all the way through the games when they took place. The fire literally died out until 1928 when the Olympic Games in Amsterdam reinstated the flame.
The Olympic torch is known for its relays around the world before the games begin. This was not from ancient times but from the modern era. Joseph Goebbels introduced this at the highly controversial Berlin Olympics to promote the Nazis and their way of thinking. Nowadays, the Olympic torch is used to promote peace and unity around the world, all though it has come under fire and protest because of the Beijing Olympics.
The torch relay goes on for months and it travels the world. The torch ends its long journey at the games and finishes at the cauldron. It should be an honour for anyone to be asked to light the cauldron at the games, an honour many have been happily completed. Muhammad Ali is one of the many famous people to light the cauldron.
The people who carry the torch along its journey are normally famous faces, people who have overcome great situations in their lives or people who can show the true spirit of the country hosting the games. For the Tokyo games in 1964, a little boy who was born in Hiroshima on the 6th of August in 1945 was allowed to bear the torch. For the Montreal games in 1976, a teenager from the French speaking part of Canada and a teenager from the English speaking part of Canada were allowed to bear the torch to show the unity of the country.
The Olympic torch relay comes with controversy, especially considering its origin from the Nazis. Protests have followed the torch for many years despite its supposed peaceful meaning.
The Olympic flame has been extinguished on many occasions, both accidently and purposely. Mother Nature has done her part in dousing the flame, and the protesters have done the rest! The Olympic torch has been under more protests this year for the Beijing Olympics than any other time so far. Unknown to many people, reserve flames and torches are carried with the original, so if the flame is extinguished another can take its place quickly.
The Olympic torch regardless of its controversy is the main symbol of the Olympic Games. It will continue to relay the world and take pride of place at the games official opening ceremony. Many people will continue to watch the Olympic torch travel around the world and cheer its procession through the streets.