List of Olympic torch designs

This is a list of torch designs used to carry the Olympic flame at the Olympic Games.

Summer Olympic torch designs

Games	Host	Design	Designer(s)	Manufacturer	Length (cm)	Weight (g)	Numbers produced	Image	Ref
1936	Berlin, Germany		Walter Lemcke and Peter Wolf	Friedrich Krupp AG	27	450	3,840		[1]
1948	London, Great Britain		Ralph Lavers		47	960	1,688[lower-alpha 1]		[2]
1952	Helsinki, Finland		Aukusti Tuhka	Kultakeskus Oy, Hämeenlinna	60	600	22		[3]
1956	Melbourne, Australia		Ralph Lavers		47	960	400[lower-alpha 1]		[4]
1960	Rome, Italy	The torch was designed to bring back the traditions of the antique torches of Ancient Rome. It was made from aluminum and covered with bronze. Weighing a total of 580 grams, it was one of the lightest torches.	Pier Luigi Nervi and Amedeo Maiuri	Curtisa, Bologna	40	580	c. 1,500		[5]
1964	Tokyo, Japan	The minimalistic design of the torch was dedicated to the trends which were in fashion in the sixties. With a handle separated from the 'shaft' of the torch by a round sword, it resembled a fencing sword.	Sori Yanagi		64.5	836	5,244		[6][7]
1968	Mexico City, Mexico	The torch resembles a potato masher with the words Mexico 68 on the top. The size of this torch was all of 52 cm.	James Metcalfe		52.3	780	3,000[lower-alpha 2]		[8]
1972	Munich, Germany	The Olympic rings with the text "'München 1972 Spiele der XX. Olympiade'" on the handle. The logo on the upper surface of the plate. The entire surface of the torch is completely nickel-plated. It resembles a top and a sword. The logo represents the sun, the moon and the stars. A liquid gas was used for the burning.	Hagri Kettwig	Friedrich Krupp AG	75	1350	5,917		[9]
1976	Montreal, Quebec, Canada	The torch was primarily made of aluminium and weighed 836 grams. It was fuelled by olive oil in part to further strengthen the link to the Greek origins of the events. This torch resembles a microphone. The holes represents the aboriginals of Canada. Red represents Canada and the ethnic groups of the country.	Georges Huel and Michel Daillaire	Queensway Machine Products	66	836	1,250[lower-alpha 3]		[10]
1980	Moscow, Soviet Union	The Olympic torch resembles a comet. The colors represents the four seasons. White represents the Autumn and Winter. Gold represents Spring and Summer. It has the words Москва-Олимпиада-80 on the white and the logo on the golden protective cover. Eventually the torch was "polished". In the USSR, a patent of invention was registered for the torch with the number 729414.	Boris Tutschin	Leningrad Department of the Ministry of Aircraft Production	56.5	700	5,000[lower-alpha 1]		[11]
1984	Los Angeles, U.S.	It resembles a blueprint. Etched on the ring of the torch were the words of the Olympic motto ("Citius, Altius, Fortius") with the Olympic rings between each word. It features the plaque of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Olympic Cauldron. This gives clues to the torchbearers on what the cauldron would look like.		Turner Industries	56.5	1,000	4,500		[12]
1988	Seoul, South Korea	The design of the torch, engraved with two dragons symbolizing the harmony of East and West. Korean traditions were taken into account in the making of the entire external appearance of the torch. The unique character of the torch is in the leather sheath of the handle.	Lee Woo-Sung	Korea Explosive Co. Ltd (Hanwha Corp)	50.5	1,000	3,300		[13]
1992	Barcelona, Spain	It resembles a flower pot and a cauldron. It has the words XXV Olimpiada Barcelona 1992 and the logo.	André Ricard Sala	Kromschröder	68	1,200	9,444 [lower-alpha 4]		[14]
1996	Atlanta, U.S.	It resembles a Greek column. It features 22 aluminum "reeds" intended to represent the number of times that the Games had been held. A gold-plated band towards the base of the torch features the names of all 20 host cities up to and including Atlanta while the logo is etched into another band near the top. The handle, made of Georgia hardwood, is found near the center of the 76 centimetres (30 in) torch. The Paralympic torch resembles a Native American arrow. It features the logos of the Paralympics on silver top and the Paralympic taeguks on the silver arrowhead. It was the words 1996 NationsBank Paralympic Torch Relay on the wooden center.	Malcolm Grear		76	1,600			[15]
2000	Sydney, Australia	The design of the Olympic and the Paralympic torches reflected three famed areas of Australian culture: the boomerang, the Sydney Opera House, and the waters of the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. The concept also reflected the elements of earth, fire, and water. The Paralympic torch reflects the history, nature, cities, states and people of the host country.	Robert Jurgens	G.A. & L Harrington Pty Ltd.	72	1,000			[16]
2004	Athens, Greece	The torch was inspired by an olive tree leaf. The design was selected to enhance the flame with its upward dynamic shape. Its ergonomic curved design establishes the torch as the continuation of the flame, which in turn rises as a continuation of the torchbearer's hand. It is made of metal (magnesium) and wood (olive tree). It also represents the fire seemed to come straight from the torchbearer's hand.	Andreas Varotsos		68	700			[17]
2008	Beijing, China	It is based on traditional scrolls and uses a traditional Chinese design known as "Lucky Cloud". It designed in reference to the traditional Chinese concept of the five elements that make up the entire universe. Red is the traditional color of China. A maroon version was produced for the Paralympic torch. It references the yin and yang. The top of the torches represents the rivers, lakes, waterfalls, the Four Seas and the ocean of China. The bottom of the torches represents the people, animals, forests, mountains, deserts, buildings, cities, towns and villages of China. The logo is on the center of the torch. The clouds represents the ethnic minorities of the host country. It has the words Beijing 2008 on the red/maroon bottom.	A team from Lenovo Group, public Company, Beijing	Vatti Corporation Ltd	72	980			[18]
2012	London, United Kingdom	The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Torches were made of aluminum alloy skin, perforated by 8,000 circles to represent the 8,000 torchbearers who would carry the flame. The circles also helped to dissipate heat without it being conducted down the handle, and provided extra grip. The triangular shape of torches represents the three Olympic values (respect, excellence and friendship), elements of the Olympic motto - faster, higher, stronger, Olympic Games hosted by the United Kingdom (1908, 1948 and 2012), tri-vision of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics (sport, education and culture) and the Paralympic agitos. The Olympic torch is gold while the Paralympic torch is silver.	Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby		80	800 without canister 1,090 with canister			[19]
2016	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	When the white torch is lit (according to the creators, known as the "kiss"), Its segments will open up. The segments come from the elements of the Brazilian flair and the host city's nature represent with the colors of the host nation's flag (or the sun in the Paralympic torch). The golden triangle on the top of the torch represents the three Olympic values (respect, excellence and friendship), the achievement of the games, the Paralympic agitos and the sun. The green (gold in the Paralympic torch) represents nature surrounding the host city. The aquamarine (orange in the Paralympic torch) represents the waters surrounding the host nation and the host city. The blue (red in the Paralympic torch) represents the sea. The light blue (pink in the Paralympic torch) and the shape of the segments represents the esplanades (Calçadão in Portuguese) of Copacabana and Ipanema. The axis of the torch expresses unity and diversity. The four Paralympic values (courage, determination, inspiration and equality) are written in Braille on the Paralympic torch.	Chelles & Hayashi	Recam Laser	69	1,500	12,000

Winter Olympic torch designs

Games	Host	Design	Designer(s)	Manufacturer	Length (cm)	Weight (g)	Numbers produced	Image	Ref
1952	Oslo, Norway	A map. At the "neck" of the torch, there were five Olympic rings and the inscription "Morgedal-Oslo". This torch is one of the lightest.			22.8		95		[20]
1956	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	The classic design of the torch was meant to emphasize the link with ancient Greek traditions.			47	820	31,18		[21]
1960	Squaw Valley, U.S.		John Hench, a Disney imagineer		48.5	1,320	23		[22][23]
1964	Innsbruck, Austria	The torch resembles the shape of the torches which existed in the 19th Century. The continuity of the flame burning was provided by a special content known as "Tipizir 120/140". Thanks to this, the flame was able to burn for 22 hours non-stop.			61	22.0
1968	Grenoble, France	The torch was made from sheet copper that was covered in bronze. The knob at the end of the torch reliably shielded the torchbearers from accidental burns. It was calculated that during the torch relay, 75 tons of oil were used to maintain the flame.			76	17.0	50,00
1972	Sapporo, Japan	The torch is an obvious departure from the traditions of Japanese minimalism. Sapporo's torch is rather a futuristic creation. It resembles a spaceship. The barrel with the flame with a length of 55 cm is twisted into the massive handle	Sori Yanagi	Mizuno Corporation	55	460	16,300
1976	Innsbruck, Austria	The torch was decorated by a three-dimensional Olympic emblem with the five rings. There was no basin on this torch; instead, there was a wide ring below, separating the handle from the "stalk".			74.6	900	12,00
1980	Lake Placid, U.S.	The torch was designed to resemble a Calla. The silver represents the United States' skyscrapers, transportation, military and NASA. The gold represents its people, sports, agriculture and the presidents. The orange leather presents its past and the bald eagle.			73	10.80	52
1984	Sarajevo, Yugoslavia	The torch was made in a minimalist style and a simple metallic tube with a handle. It resembles a satellite and a solar panel. The gold represents the Olympic spirit. While the silver represents the snow and the clouds.	Mizuno Corporation	Mizuno Corporation	57.7	780	16,00
1988	Calgary, Alberta, Canada	Calgary Tower. It bears the motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" and pictograms of the sports. The handle of the torch was made of maple, a tree symbolizing Canada.			50.0	10.0	20,899
1992	Albertville, France	This torch resembles a horn of a bull or a flame (if turned upside down). It bears the name of the games in French, XVIes Jeux Olympiques D'Hiver Savoie France. This torch is the lightest in Olympic history. It was produced from steel with gold plating. With a height of 41 cm, it became one of the shortest torches in the history of the Games.	Philippe Starck		41	13.0	55,000
1994	Lillehammer, Norway	The torch is a reminder of man's mastery over fire; a flaming branch is dragged out of the fire, and as it is raised the flame travels up its length. When you run with such a branch, it burns like a flaming flag. Norwegian craftsmanship has been applied to the design of the Olympic torch. Like a sheath knife; it consists of a long wooden handle and a metal blade. The birchwood handle is the product of a long tradition in Norway, and the 'blade' of polished aluminium is a reflection of modern industry and technology. The long supple shape echoes that of the torch-bearer; the torch is more than a burning flame. The proportions are all-important: its length in relation to the human body gives it an elegance and a flow that would be lacking in a shorter torch, and torch and body together form a unit. It features the pictograms inside the metal blade. This torch is the thinnest as well as the longest. Its length was one and a half meters - almost the height of a person. The torch's handle was made from Norwegian birch, and the basin was metal. The creators of this torch came up with the poetic name "Noble" for it.	André Marandon and Paal Johan Kahrs	Paal J Kahrs Arkitekter AS	18.4	12.0	70,000
1998	Nagano, Japan	A taimatsu (a Japanese torch), the silver body’s hexagonal form symbolizes snowflakes. It features the Nagano 1998 logo, the word "'Nagano 1998"', and the pictograms of the sports at the bottom. The top features golden Olympic Rings. The Paralympic torch has blue, red, yellow rings. The colors represent the colors of the taegueks. It resembles a bonshō (a Japanese bell). (if turned upside down)	Akio Haruhara		55.0	15.00	69,01		image
2002	Salt Lake City, U.S.	An icicle. The top section was glass, and the Olympic flame burned within the glass, echoing the 2002 Olympic theme Light the Fire Within. The glass stood for purity, winter, ice, and nature. Also inside the glass was a geometric copper structure which helped hold the flame. Copper is a very important natural element of Utah, and represented fire, warmth, Utah's History, and mirrored the orange/red colors of the theme Fire and Ice. The center section was made of silver and finished to look old and worn, while the bottom section was made of clean, highly polished silver. The center section represented the silver mining heritage of the American West, while the bottom section represented the future and modern technology. The Torchbearer gripped the torch at the junction of both the aged and polished silver, during which their hand represented a bridge from the past to the present. The two silver sections also mirrored the blue/purple colors of the Fire and Ice theme. It bears the Salt Lake City 2002 logo, the motto of the games on the silver bottom, light the fire within, the Roman numbers for the number 19, XIX and the name of the Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002 with the Olympic rings in the middle. The Paralympic version has minor differences from the Olympic torch, it bears the Salt Lake City 2002 Paralympics logo, the motto of the games on the metal bottom, Mind, Body, Spirit, the Roman numbers for the number 8, VIII and the name of the Paralympic Games, Paralympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002 with the Paralympic taegeuks in the middle.	Axiom Design	Coleman Company	83.5	13.00	12,000
2006	Torino, Italy	A ski pole, alpenstock and a mountain peak. The 12 holes represents the Mole Antonelliana. It features the Torino 2006 logo, while the Paralympic torch features the Torino 2006 Paralympic Games logo. The torch was criticized for being too heavy.	Pininfarina	Pininfarina	76.5	18.50	11,000
2010	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada	The lines of a skier's turns carved in the snow and the undulating beauty of Canada's winter landscape. It bears the red maple leaf in front and the motto of the games at the back, With glowing hearts/Des plus brillants exploits. A grey version of the torch is for the Paralympic torch. The steel blue Paralympic torch resembles a grey curved cloud and the mountains surrounding Vancouver. The torch also represents the souls of the host city, host province and the host country.	Leo Obstbaum	Bombardier Inc.	94.5	66.0	12,000
2014	Sochi, Russia	a feather of a firebird. Silver in the design represented ice while the Red is the traditional colour of Russian sport and symbolizes the fire kindling in the mountains that surround the holiday resort. A Sky Blue version of the torch is for the Paralympic torch. Sky Blue symbolizes the strength and spirit of the Paralympic Movement and the harmony, commitment and energy of the Paralympic athletes. After the torch relays, many torchbearers complained about their weight - the torches weighed more than two kilograms.	a team of famous Russian designers and engineers		95.0	18.0	15,000
2018	Pyeongchang, South Korea	The torch is exactly 700 mm in length, representing the altitude of Pyeongchang, which is 700 meters above sea level. The white and gold tones of the torch mirror the main colours of the torch relay, while the five-pronged shape of the flame is based on the Korean symbol for the host city, which is also engraved around the bottom half and top of the torch. The color white also drew its cues from white porcelain, and also from snow and ice, two major symbols of the Winter Olympics. The five prongs form the symbol of the city, with the five-angled shape in the middle of the cap and the pentagon at the bottom representing the spirit of sports, which connects races, nations, religions, genders, cultures, as well as the five continents around the world. It will enable one part of the flame to be burning at all times, due to it being sheltered from the South Korea's strong wind and heavy snow, with an air tunnel also included to provide more oxygen to keep the flame lit. Both versions have the motto of the 2018 Olympic Games (Passion Connected) at the bottom. The Paralympic version is bronze instead of gold and has Korean and Braille of the motto at the bottom.	Young Se Kim	Korea Explosive Co. Ltd (Hanwha Corp)	70.0		7,500

Summer Youth Olympic torch designs

Games	Host	Design	Designer(s)	Manufacturer	Length (cm)	Weight (g)	Numbers produced	Image	Ref
2010	Singapore	Red on the top of the torch represented youths' passion and "burning desire to learn and excel, blazing the trail in life" (Blazing the Trial was the tagline of the games). White represents the sky. Water in the bottom represented Singapore, which is an island country surrounded entirely by water bodies and which had its origins as a seaport; it also reflected the "vibrant and dynamic nature" of the city-state.		Vatti Corporation Ltd	60	560	2,400		image
2014	Nanjing, China	Nicknamed the Door of Happiness. The main body of the torch is covered in the metallic luster. And the torch is extremely light. The silver-colored part is designed into the shape of letter “n”, which is the initial of the city’s name, Nanjing, and is also in the shape of the city gate of the Ming Dynasty, symbolizing Nanjing’s hope to present its grandeur and brilliance to the world through the games. The blue part represents the Yangtze River, the water of which passes through the gate. The gray strips at the bottom of the torch are the symbol of ripples, rendering the torch more dynamic.	Ji Ziyi	Vatti Corporation Ltd	50	560	2,400
2018	Buenos Aires, Argentina	According to the organizing committee, the torch is dressed in the miscellanies of the Buenos Aires 2018 emblem, inspired by the corners, icons, neighborhoods and culture of the city of Buenos Aires. In the seed of the logo burn three flames that, interlaced, give life to the Olympic flame of Youth, three, like the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence.

Winter Youth Olympic torch designs

Footnotes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olympic torches.

Notes

References