Olympic flame draws the crowds in Chamonix
Last night, the Olympic Flame made its way through the streets of Chamonix in the last stage of its brief journey through France, before returning to Italy for the opening ceremony in Turin on Friday. Earlier in the day, the torch had been carried through the former Olympic host cities of Grenoble (1968) and Albertville (1992) before it arrived here in Chamonix, site of the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924.
Despite the cold, the square in front of the Mairie was choc-a-block with nearly 4000 well wishers and Olympic fans, who had gathered to see the torch pass through the town, carried by former Olympic medal winners Gilbert Poirot, Guy Périllat and Karine Ruby. Snowboarder Ruby had the prestigious honour of lighting the flame which was contained in a huge ice bowl, comprised of seven individually carved ice blocks. The entire spectacle was broadcast on a big screen set up in the square and included many nostalgic shots from the very first winter games held in Chamonix.
Following Olympic tradition, the torch was lit in Olympia, Greece on November 27th 2005 and after ten days of travel across the country; the flame began its journey around Italy where it has toured its length and breadth for 64 days.
There is a little-known secret about the way an Olympic torch relay is conducted. It is not a single torch that is passed from hand to hand on its way from ancient Greece to the site of the current Games. Modern Olympic relays are massive and well-organised affairs. In the case of Turin, the two-kilogram torch will have covered a total distance of 11,300 km, visiting 140 cities, 107 provinces and all of Italy's regions, as well as the neighbouring National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and France. When it finally arrives in Turin it will have passed through the hands of 10,001 torchbearers.
A new Olympic torch is designed for each of the games. This year, Pininfarina, the Italian design company, produced 12,000 of the torches (each fuelled by a butane canister), allowing every bearer to be given their own one to carry. At the beginning of every run, the preceding runner touches his or her lit torch to the next in line, who repeats the process down the road. At the end, if the runner wants to keep the torch he's carried, he has to buy it; setting him back €330!
The Olympic Winter Games will be held in Turin from 10th to 26th February 2006. The Winter Games comprise seven different sports and 15 different disciplines, which will be played out in eight different competition sites. Around 2,500 athletes, 650 judges and umpires and one million spectators are expected to participate in this 20th edition of the Winter Games.
