Olympic Flame

The Olympic Flame or Olympic Fire is a symbol of the Olympic Games. 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. The fire was reintroduced at the Olympics in 1928, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since. The modern torch relay was introduced by Adolf Hitler, at the Berlin Games of 1936, as part of an effort to turn the games into a glorification of the Third Reich http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/14/sports/olympics/14torch.html?ex=1125028800&en=b03a2ced37ef6137&ei=5070. But despite its Nazi origin, the torch ceremony is still practiced as of 2005.

History

For the ancient Greeks, fire had divine connotations — it was thought to have been stolen from the gods by Prometheus. Therefore, fire was also present at many of the sanctuaries in Olympia. A fire permanently burned on the altar of Hestia in Olympia. During the Olympic Games, which honoured Zeus, additional fires were lit at his temple and that of his wife, Hera. The modern Olympic flame is ignited at the site where the temple of Hera used to stand.

Related Topics:
Prometheus - Hestia - Zeus - Hera

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fire did not appear at the modern Olympics until 1928. Dutch architect Jan Wils had included a tower in his design for the Olympic stadium for the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and came up with the idea of having a fire burn throughout. On July 28, 1928 an employee of the Amsterdam electricity board lit the first Olympic fire in this so-called Marathontower, known as the "KLM's ashtray" by the locals.

Related Topics:
Dutch - Jan Wils - 1928 Amsterdam Olympics - July 28 - 1928 - KLM

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The idea of an Olympic Flame was met with enthusiasm, and was incorporated as a symbol of Olympism. German sports official and sports scientist Carl Diem conceived the idea of an Olympic torch relay for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. More than 3,000 runners carried the torch from Olympia to Berlin. German track and field athlete Fritz Schilgen was the last to carry the torch, igniting the flame in the stadium. The torch relay also became part of the Olympic Games.

Related Topics:
German - Carl Diem - 1936 Summer Olympics - Berlin - Fritz Schilgen

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Olympic Flame burned at the Winter Olympics in 1936 and 1948, but the first torch relay occurred at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. The fire was not ignited in Olympia, but in Morgedal, Norway, in the fireplace of the home of Sondre Norheim, who pioneered the sport of skiing. The fire was also lit there in 1960 and in 1994. Except for 1956, the relay started in Olympia for all other Winter Games. In 1956, the relay began in Rome.

Related Topics:
Winter Olympics - 1952 Winter Olympics - Oslo - Morgedal - Norway - Sondre Norheim - Rome

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 it was first transported by aeroplane in 1952, when the fire travelled to Helsinki. In 1956, the equestrian events were held separately because of strict quarantine regulations in Australia. All carriers in the torch relay to Stockholm, where these events were held instead, travelled on horseback.

Related Topics:
English Channel - Aeroplane - Helsinki - Equestrian - Quarantine - Australia - Stockholm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Remarkable means of transportation were used in 1976, when the fire was transformed to an electronic pulse. From Athens, this pulse was carried by satellite to Canada, where a laser beam was used to re-light the fire. In 2000, the torch was carried under water by divers near the Great Barrier Reef. Other unusual means of transportation include an Native American canoe, a camel, and Concorde.

Related Topics:
Athens - Satellite - Canada - Laser - Great Barrier Reef - Native American - Canoe - Camel - Concorde

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 into the cauldron from a platform at the opposite end of the stadium. Two years later, the Olympic fire was brought into the stadium of Lillehammer by a ski jumper.

Related Topics:
1992 Barcelona Games - Paralympic - Archer - Antonio Rebollo - Lillehammer - Ski jumper

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At the Sydney Olympics in 2000 the cauldron carrying the flame became stuck for about three minutes, then continued on its way. According to Trevor Connell (who works for Australasian Special Events), there were several theories as to what happened,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"First — a computer and/or mechanical hiccup. The other is that in order to keep the trick a secret it was never tested in full mode. The ring was hauled up by a counterbalance system, which was only tested in a 'dry run'. On the night the ring was loaded with fuel, which threw the balance out. Once enough fuel had burnt off the system balanced and then started its journey up the incline." http://www.specialevents.com.au/archiveprev/sydney2000/opening.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~