The flaming torch!
John Cushing, July 2023 updated Jan 2024
Here it is! The Paris 2024 torch that will carry the flame from Greece and light up another Olympic Games in a years time!
Organisers were keen for it to have a break from the designs of years gone by and it is different, from say the London 2012 one a lot of us will remember in the UK. It has both a narrow top and bottom. The Paris 2024 torch will also be used for both the Olympic and Paralympics, which was important too said Joachim Roncin head of design for the organisers.
11,000 forerunners will hold the torch before it officially opens the Games on the River Seine in one year's time. It's an iconic feature, linking the modern with the ancient Games, and key for Paris is a symbol of peace, security and solidarity.
Top french designer Matthieu Lehanneur, who admitted he wasn't keen on competitions, "but in this case I couldn't say no", says he wanted to ensure he captured all that in his his design. He says water is a common thread in these Games, with the Seine as the main stage for the Opening Ceremony - and that can clearly bee seen in the reflection at the heart of the torch. He also wanted it more curved to show a sign of purity and peacefulness.
