Rio 2016 organizers unveil Olympic torch
Rio de Janeiro organizers unveiled the Olympic torch for the 2016 Games on Friday, saying it brings together “movement, innovation and Brazilian flavour.”
Organizers said the torch’s design was inspired by Brazil’s “nature, and the harmonious diversity and energy” of the Brazilian people.
The torch, crafted from recycled aluminium and resin with a satin finish, innovates with different segments that open up when the Olympic flame is passed from one torchbearer to another.
After expanding vertically, the segments will reveal “the elements that add the Brazilian flavour,” with soil, sea, mountains, sky, and sun represented in the colours of the Brazilian flag green, yellow, blue, and white.
The unveiling was made in a ceremony attended by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in the capital of Brasilia.
Organizers said 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.
“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,” said Beth Lula, the brand director for the local organizing committee. “We used the specific stroke of the Rio 2016 brand to design the torch’s contours.”
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