The Olympic torch is an important element of the symbolism and stylistics of the Olympic games, so the choice of designer and materials for the torch is quite crucial. The torch is lit at Olympia in Greece. 11 thousand torch-bearers carry the flame to its final destination in Paris, and the distance is 12 000 kilometres.
For the Paris Summer Olympic Games in 2024 the responsibility to develop a model for the torch falls on the French designer Mathieu Lehanneur. He was selected for “his poetic and highly symbolic approach, along with his ability to grasp the values and expectations of Paris 2024” as the announcement of the French hosts read.
The torch is 70cm in length and weighs 1.5 kilos, made od crude steel. Delphine Moulin, the director of the Paris 2024 committee, announced for Reuters agency that the result is a thin torch that represents the Mediterranean sea and the oceans through which the olympic fire travels from Greek to French soil.
Completely symmetrical, with a golden ring, separating the smooth top and the sculptured bottom - the torch is the result of the inspired work of the designer whose imagination and dedication to the olympic spirit runs wild. “It was important for this object to be like an accessory to the flame, so I realised the project by thinking of it first” says Mathieu.
The neat design and harmonic lines are an allusion to the classical French fashion line, which cannot go unnoticed. In the words of the designer:
“Designing the Olympic torch is a designer's dream: a dream that only comes true once in a lifetime, like a miraculous encounter with History. As ritualistic as it is magical, the torch is a mythical object. As a symbol of cohesion and sharing, it is the veritable key to opening the Games. It will cross thousands of kilometers, passed from hand to hand, over land and sea. For Paris 2024, and for the first time in its history, it will play with perfect symmetry to better express a message of equality. I wanted it to be extremely pure, iconic, and almost essential. Simple like a hyphen and fluid like a flame…”.
The torch is water and windproof, and it has been designer so that the flame can withhold a constant windflow of 20km/h and gusts of 60km/h
At the Summer Olympics in 2020, the design of the torch was made by the world famous contemporary Japanese painter and designer Tokujin Yoshioka. He based his creation on the message of hope and emphasised on the ancient roots of the Japanese culture. Tokyo's industrial design is protected according to national and international legislation.
The relay-race with the olympic fire is a modern tradition first introduced at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936.
