From August 5 – 21, 2016, the world’s best athletes will all meet in Rio to take part in the 2016 Olympic Games.

But, before this event can take place, the famous Olympic torch must be passed.

Next year’s torch has already been revealed by Sao Paulo studio, Chelles & Hayashi- a seemingly unknown studio that was selected from a nationwide competition that included 76 agencies to design the torch.

The ceremony will take place in Brasilia and the Olympic torch will be passed between 12,000 torchbearers, across 500 cities on its 100-day journey through Brazil.

During this time, when the torch is passed from person to person, which is known as “the kiss of the torches,” the sections towards the top of the baton will open up automatically.  But, that’s not the only notable design feature.

In fact, the 2016 torch is made of recycled aluminum and expands vertically when in contact with the flame, which then reveals a series of colored resin sections. The blue and green resin sections, as well as the yellow flame, are meant to represent the sea, mountains, sky and sun.

These colors are also found in the Brazilian flag.

The triangular shape of the torch is very similar to the one that was used during the games in London in 2012. The shape gives a nod to the three primary Olympic values- excellence, friendship and respect.

The Olympic torch relay is a tradition that dates back to the 1936 games that were held in Berlin. The flame is lit in Athens- where the games originated- it’s then flown to the host country before making its way around the designated route where it lights a cauldron during the opening ceremony, which then burns for the entirety of the games.

Copyright Davison, 2015

Sources:

http://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/07/rio-2016-olympic-torch-design-expanding-aluminium-resin-chelles-hayashi/

http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/03/rio-2016-olympic-torch-unveiled/

Media:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/df/2016_Summer_Olympics_logo.svg/812px-2016_Summer_Olympics_logo.svg.png

http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/07/Rio-Olympic-Torch_dezeen_3.jpg

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The idea for the invention of the Olympic torch stems back to the ancient Greeks’ belief that fire was given to humankind by Prometheus, who believed that fire had sacred qualities.

The Greeks held their Olympic Games in 776 B.C. and just like today, the Games were held every four years at Olympia. Albeit, the first Olympics honored Zeus and other Greek gods, the Olympics now obviously do not. At the time, the Olympics marked the beginning of a period of peace for the often-warring Greeks. The runners, also known as the “heralds of peace” at the beginning of the Games, would travel all throughout Greece, declaring a “sacred truce” to all wars between rival city-states. The truce would remain during the entirety of the Games, so that spectators could safely travel to the Olympics.

Now, the constant burning flame is used solely during today’s Games; however, throughout Greece at the time, the burning flame was a regular fixture.

Today, the journey of the Olympic torch begins well before the actual Games commence. It all begins with an invention idea that is stowed away in the mind(s) of the designer or group of designers. The Olympic Committee receives several design proposals that are reviewed in order to determine who will turn their idea into a reality and build the torch.

Just like any invention, a lot of thought goes into the process and the team whose design is selected must invent a torch that is both aesthetically pleasing and, most importantly, functional.

Inventing an aesthetically-pleasing torch seems to be the easy part; while, the functionality part takes a lot of work to ensure that the torch will not only stay lit across the distance, but also make it through some tough conditions.

The modern Olympic torch originated with John Hench, who was a Disney artist that designed the torch for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. From that point on, his torch design idea laid the foundation for all future torches.

Since then, future designers have tried to invent a torch that represents the host country, as well as the theme for that particular Olympics.

It takes about a year or two for the idea of the torch design to come to fruition. Once the torch is built, it is then tested rigorously in all sorts of weather conditions. Once it passes the tests, the torch is then replicated several times, because it isn’t just one torch that makes the journey into the Olympic stadium; it’s thousands. There can be anywhere between 10,000 to 15,000 torches that are created in order to accommodate the thousands of runners who carry the torches through each leg of the relay.

Despite the fact that the ideas for the torch design vary every four years, the torches must always contain some basic elements:

• Fuel to create the flame
• A fuel delivery system that will get the flame out of the top of the torch
• An aerodynamic design that is both lightweight and safe for a runner to carry

The 2014 Winter Olympics will come to a close on Sunday, February 23, and the torch that’s been lit throughout the duration of the Games will finally be extinguished. But, you better believe that the creative minds of designers already are bursting with ideas that “spark” their imaginations for the creation of the next Games’ torch!

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

• Infoplease.com
• Howstuffworks.com

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