What Keeps The Olympic Torch Burning?
June 26, 2008
Notwithstanding the anti-Chinese protests by exiled Tibetans across the world there are many who would like to know how the Olympic torch is kept alight? The answer is propane which keeps it alight relays on the aircraft.
A part of an ancient ritual, the flame ignited by the sun’s rays at the ancient site of Olympia in Greece, is to be kept alive until the closing ceremony, by which time it will have visited 135-cities in 20 countries and covered 137,000 kms in 130-days.
A team of ten flame attendants are responsible for safe passage of the flame, the Olympic torch being guarded each night by three guards in its hotel room. Kept alive whether on plane or on land, a 20-vehicle convoy accompanies the torch. However, most of this journey is on foot, though in 2008 other modes of transport were used, such as, dog sleds, horses, canoes and camels. While, in London, the torch was carried on two boats, a bike, a bus and the Docklands Light Railway. In flight, the flame burns within enclosed lanterns with the torch, lanterns, attendants and security flying in a specially-chartered plane.
Designed to burn underwater and counter winds up to 65-kilometres per hour, the Olympic torch can stay alight in a 50-mm rain downpour for about an hour. With no relay in ancient Olympic Games, there were several burning flames, as well as, flame races at the Pan Athenian Games to honour deities including Zeus and Prometheus. They kept the flame burning throughout the Games on the altar of Goddess Hestia, using the building for holding post-Games banquets.
Olympic Torch controversy in recent Games, including Beijing, has led to using gas cartridges to allow greater control over the flame’s size and colour and make the carrying of the torch safer for runners.
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