The tradition of lighting the Olympic flame from a torch that swept across continents originated in Germany. The Olympic relay was invented by Karl Diem, who was the general secretary of the committee for the Olympic Games held in Berlin in 1936.
The famous sculptor Walter Lemke designed the first Olympic torch. It was lit with a huge parabolic mirror at Olympia and transported to Berlin in just 12 days and 11 nights. 3331 people took part in the relay, who covered the distance of 3187 km.
Later, in 1938, German director Leni Riefenstahl made a film about this relay race, which was called "Olympia".
Traditionally, the Olympic torch was carried by runners, but sometimes other transportation methods were used to move it. He was transported by ship, plane, canoe and even camel. On their way to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the torchbearers carried the torch on horseback, as equestrian competitions were held in Stockholm during their journey.
In 1976, the Olympic flame made a fantastic journey. At Olympia, it was converted into a radio signal, and then, using a satellite, it was transmitted to Canada. There, a radio signal activated a laser beam, which ignited the fire of the new Olympic Games.
The Olympic torch also visited the seabed. In 2000, it was carried along the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia by biologist Wendy Craig-Duncan. The torch burned beautifully under water, thanks to a special sparkling compound that was developed by scientists specifically for this event.
The longest torch relay has been named worldwide. It lasted 78 days and took place in 2004. The Olympic flame was passed from hand to hand by 11,400 torchbearers. He covered a distance of 78,000 kilometers. During the world torch relay, the Olympic torch traveled to Africa and South America for the first time. He was carried through all the cities in which the Olympics were previously held. The torch relay both began and ended in Athens, where the 2004 Summer Games were held.
