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.

Learn about the history and traditions of the Olympic Games, including the lighting of the Olympic torch and the relay to the host city.