
- There will be around 12,000 torchbearers that will help carry the Olympic flame across the entire country
The Olympic spirit is present in the torch’s texture with triangles running the length of its body, alluding to the three Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect, and in the floating effect of its different segments, referring to the efforts of the athletes.
Beth Lula, Rio 2016 Brand Director said: “The design of the Rio 2016 Torch was inspired by the Olympic Spirit, our country’s nature, and the harmonious diversity and energy of our people. We used the specific stroke of the Rio 2016 brand to design the torch’s contours. Its horizontal segments, once open, reveal the sky, mountains, sea and the ground, represented by the promenade of Copacabana.”
The design was the result of a nationwide competitive tender that 76 agencies responded to and that concluded with the meeting of a multidisciplinary Judging Panel, formed by 11 members recognised for their expertise in product design or their contribution to the Olympic Movement. The panel unanimously selected the Sao Paulo-based design studio Chelles & Hayashi, established 21 years ago by Gustavo Chelles and Romy Hayashi. After having been selected, the winning design was refined in collaboration with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee.
There will be around 12,000 torchbearers that will carry the Olympic flame across some 300 cities and towns in the 26 Brazilian states, plus the Federal District, for 90 to 100 days. Each Torch – crafted from recycled aluminium and resin with a satin finish – weighs between 1kg and 1.5kg and stands 63.5cm high when contracted and 69cm when expanded.
Lightweight materials and a design that induces a grip closer to the Torch’s centre of gravity have been employed to make the experience of the 12,000 torchbearers the best it can be.
Over the following two months, the Games Organising Committee and the Presenting Partners of the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay, Coca-Cola, Nissan and Bradesco, will announce their public campaigns to select those who will have the privilege to carry the Olympic Torch and the Olympic Flame.