Olympic Games History and Traditions

Olympic Games Preparations

• The Olympic Games start with an elaborate opening ceremony, but preparations begin long before that.
• The true beginning of the Olympic celebration is the lighting of the Olympic torch and the relay that carries the flame to the host city.

Olympic Torch Lighting

• The Olympic torch is lit at a ceremony in Olympia, Greece, where the ancient games were held.
• The Olympic flame is created using only sunlight and a mirror.
• The flame is lit months before the games.

Olympic Torch Relay

• The first modern Olympic torch relay took place in Berlin, in the summer of 1936.
• Initially, runners were mainly selected from Olympic athletes, but later regular citizens, including children, old people, and people with disabilities, began to participate as well.
• Carrying the torch is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a great honor.
• Traditionally, the torch is carried on foot.
• Other modes of transport, such as private planes, are used when the torch must go overseas.
• The torch has also been carried underwater, as seen in the Sydney Summer Games in 2000, where a diver swam with the torch.

Lighting the Giant Pot

• At the end of the relay, the flame is used to light a giant pot.
• The light, a symbol of the Olympic spirit, burns throughout the games.

Olympic Torch Relay

• The Olympic torch is lit at a ceremony in Olympia, Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held.
• The flame is lit months before the games and the first runner begins the relay among the ruins of an ancient Olympic stadium.

Lighting the Olympic Torch

• The Olympic torch is lit using only sunlight and a mirror, a specific requirement for the Olympic flame.

History of the Torch Relay

• The first modern Olympic torch relay took place in Berlin, in the summer of 1936.
• Initially, runners were mainly selected from Olympic athletes, but later, regular citizens, including children, old people, and people with disabilities, began to participate as well.

Carrying the Torch

• Carrying the torch is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a great honor.
• Traditionally, the torch is carried on foot, but sometimes other kinds of transport are needed, such as private planes for overseas journeys.
• In exceptional cases, the torch has been carried underwater, as seen in the Sydney Summer Games in 2000, where a diver swam with the torch!

The Final Lap

• At the end of the relay, the flame is used to light a giant pot.
• The light, a symbol of the Olympic spirit, burns throughout the games.