Who created the Olympic flame?

Who created the Olympic flame?

Designed by Canadian architect Oki Sato, the Tokyo cauldron is a sun-inspired orb with unfolding petal-like surfaces from a flower.

Why is the lighting of the Olympic flame important?

An integral part of the countdown to the Olympic Games, the lighting of the Olympic flame at Olympia is a ceremony of great symbolic importance, one that binds the ancient and modern versions of the Games firmly together.

Where does the Olympic flame start and end?

The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay, which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Where was the Olympic flame lit in ancient Greece?

The Olympic flame today Today, the Olympic flame is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece. The flame emphasizes the connection between the ancient games and the modern ones. In the past, a high priestess of the Temple of Hera would light the flame using a skaphia, the ancestor of parabolic mirrors.

How is the Olympic flame related to myth?

So, too, does the torch bear this idea with it—the idea of the hero of myth, of the strength and determination that is so celebrated in the Olympic Games, brought into human form through our athlete-heroes who honorably fight for our respective countries.

Why does the Olympic flame keep going out?

Some legends hold that it has been kept burning ever since the first Olympic Games. In truth, it is relit a few months before each new Olympic Games. Many see the Olympic flame as a symbol of the life and competitive spirit of the Olympic Games.

Why is the Olympic flame important to ancient Greece?

The Olympic flame is one of the most important symbols of the Olympic Games. It symbolizes the fire Prometheus stole from the ancient Greek god Zeus. In ancient Greece, the organizers of the early Olympic Games kept a flame burning throughout the course of the games.

What happens if the Olympic Torch goes out?

The torches carried by the runners are specially made to burn with a large, visible yellow flame that’s easily photographed, as well as a smaller, hotter white flame that’s not as easily blown out. But sometimes life doesn’t go the way we plan — what happens if the flame does accidentally go out?

How is the Olympic flame transported to the opening ceremony?

The flame is transported from Greece to the host country where the flame is transported by torch around the host nation to the main stadium. During the opening ceremony, the final bearer of the torch runs towards the cauldron, often placed at the top of a grand staircase, and then uses the torch to start the flame in the stadium.