Olympic flame: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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The '''Olympic flame''' is a [[Olympic symbols|symbol]] used in the [[Olympic movement]]. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games.<ref name="Britannica">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mount-Olympus-Meets-the-Middle-Kingdom-1702245|title=Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - History of the Olympic Games|website=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref> The Olympic flame is lit at [[Olympia, Greece]], several months before the [[Olympic Games]]. This ceremony starts the [[List of Olympic torch relays|Olympic torch relay]], which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic [[cauldron]] during the [[Olympic opening ceremonies|opening ceremony]] of the Olympic Games. ~~The~~Through 2022, the flame ~~then~~would ~~continues~~continue to burn in the cauldron for the duration of the Games, until it iswas extinguished during the [[Olympic closing ceremonies|Olympic closing ceremony]]. In [[2024_Summer_Olympics|2024]], electric lighting and mist were used to create a simulated flame for the Olympic cauldron, with the actual flame kept in a lantern exhibited at an adjacent location. That lantern was then taken by French swimmer [[Léon Marchand]] from [[Tuileries_Garden|Jardins des Tuileries]] (where the Olympic cauldron, that was extinguished at that moment, was located) and ceremonially "transferred" to the [[Stade de France]] at the start of the [[2024_Summer_Olympics_closing_ceremony|Closing Ceremony]]: there it was finally extinguished just after the IOC president declared officially closed the Games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keh |first1=Andrew |title=The Olympic Flame Isn’t a Flame at All |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/world/olympics/flame-cauldron-balloon.html |website=The New York Times |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=de Sortiraparis |first1=Rhizlaine |title=Paris 2024 Olympics: where has the REAL Olympic flame gone? |url=https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/news/olympic-games-paris-2024/articles/317911-paris-2024-olympics-where-has-the-real-olympic-flame-gone |website=Sortiraparis |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref>

==Origins==

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[[File:Marathontoren01.jpg|thumb|upright|The Marathon Tower at the [[Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)|Amsterdam Olympic Stadium]], where a symbolic flame burned in 1928]]

The first time that a symbolic flame made its appearance in the [[Summer Olympic Games]] was for the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] in [[Amsterdam]]. The main purpose of this fire, placed in a large bowl on top of a slender tower, named "the Marathon Tower", was to indicate for miles around where in Amsterdam the Olympic Games were being held.<ref name="OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES

OF 1928 CELEBRATED AT AMSTERDAM">{{Cite web|url=https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll8/id/13682|title=Ninth Olympiad, Being the Official Report of the Olympic Games of 1928 Celebrated at Amsterdam. Netherlands Olympic Committee |website=LA84 Foundation Digital Library}}</ref> This tower was associated with the ~~Marathon~~marathon ~~Race~~race and all its elements, including the fire, were an idea of the architect Jan Wils who also had designed the [[Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)|stadium]].

The idea for the Olympic flame was derived from [[ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] ceremonies where a sacred fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the [[Ancient Olympic Games|ancient Olympics]] on the altar of the sanctuary of [[Hestia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_655.pdf|title=Report|publisher=Official website of the Olympic Movement|access-date=19 May 2012}}</ref><ref>(secondary) [[Jean-Pierre Vernant]] - [http://ssi.sagepub.com/content/8/4/131.extract Hestia - Hermes : The religious expression of space and movement among the Greeks] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114090421/http://ssi.sagepub.com/content/8/4/131.extract |date=14 January 2015 }} Retrieved 19 May 2012</ref> In [[Ancient Greek mythology]], fire had divine connotations and it was thought to have been stolen from the gods by [[Prometheus]]. Sacred fires were present at many ancient Greek sanctuaries, including those at [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]]. Every four years, when [[Zeus]] was honoured at the Olympic Games, additional fires were lit at his temple and that of his wife, [[Hera]]. The modern Olympic flame is ignited every two years in front of the ruins of the temple of Hera.

When the idea of a symbolic fire was introduced during the [[1928 Summer Olympics]], an employee of the Electric Utility of Amsterdam lit the first symbolic flame in the Marathon Tower of the [[Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)|Olympic Stadium]] in Amsterdam.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amsterdam 1928|url=http://www.olympic.org/amsterdam-1928-summer-olympics|publisher=Olympic.org|access-date=9 July 2012}}</ref> The Olympic flame and the Olympic torch relay was first introduced to the [[Summer Olympics]] at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in [[Berlin]] by [[Carl Diem]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lennartz |first1=Karl |last2=Buschmann |first2=Jürgen |title=Carl Diem – Still Controversial 50 Years On |url=http://isoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/231.pdf |publisher=International Society of Olympic Historians |access-date=28 July 2024}}</ref>. The first ever torch-lighting ceremony was held in [[Olympia, Greece]] on July 20th, 1936.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/berlin-1936/torch-relay |website=Olympics.com |publisher=IOC |access-date=28 July 2024}}</ref> The torches used were made by [[Krupp]], and the mirror used to light the flame was made by [[Zeiss Optics]], both companies with links to the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi government]] of the time.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Klein |first1=Christopher |title=The Olympic Torch Relay's Surprising Nazi Origins |url=https://www.history.com/news/the-olympic-torch-relays-surprising-origins |website=History.com |date=12 June 2024 |access-date=28 July 2024}}</ref>

==Main ceremonies==

===Lighting of the flame===

[[File:Olympic Torch 2010.jpg|thumb|left|Lighting the ~~olympic~~Olympic flame in a [[dress rehearsal]] in Greece, using the sun's energy]]

[[File:Olympia flame1.jpg|thumb|left|Actresses playing the role of priestesses during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony]]

The Olympic flame is ignited some weeks or months before the opening ceremony of the [[Olympic Games]] at the [[Stadium at Olympia|main site]] of the [[Ancient Olympic Games|ancient Olympics]] in [[Olympia, Greece]].

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The [[Olympic torch relay]], which transports the Olympic flame from [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]], Greece to the various designated sites of the Games, had no ancient precedent and was introduced by [[Carl Diem]] at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in Berlin, Germany.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/14/sports/olympics/14torch.html?ex=1207972800&en=732b3844bc19c839&ei=5070 |work=The New York Times|department=Sports > Olympics |title=Hitler's Berlin Games Helped Make Some Emblems Popular |date=14 August 2004 |access-date=27 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424114315/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/14/sports/olympics/14torch.html?ex=1207972800&en=732b3844bc19c839&ei=5070 |archive-date=24 April 2009 }}</ref>

At the first Olympic torch relay, the flame was transported from Olympia to Berlin over 3,187 kilometers (1,980 miles) by 3,331 runners in twelve days and eleven nights. Nazi Propaganda Minister, [[Joseph Goebbels]], commissioned filmmaker and propagandist, [[Leni Riefenstahl]] to film the event.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Klein |first1=Christopher |title=The Olympic Torch Relay's Surprising Nazi Origins |url=https://www.history.com/news/the-olympic-torch-relays-surprising-origins |website=History.com |date=12 June 2024 |access-date=28 July 2024}}</ref> The political undertones of the relay resulted in minor protests in [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] and [[Czechoslovakia]] on the way, which were suppressed by the local security forces.<ref>[[Adolf Hitler]] saw the link with the ancient Games as the perfect way to illustrate his belief that classical Greece was an [[Aryan race|Aryan]] forerunner of the modern German Reich. (See {{cite news

~~| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3699278.ece~~

~~| title=Who put the Olympic flame out?~~

~~| newspaper=[[timesonline.co.uk]]~~

~~| date=7 April 2008~~

~~| access-date=7 April 2008~~

~~| location=London~~

~~| first=Nico | last=Hines~~

~~}})</ref>~~

In the 1956 Melbourne Games in Australia, local veterinary student [[Barry Larkin (Olympics)|Barry Larkin]] protested against the relay when he tricked onlookers by carrying a fake flame, consisting of a pair of underpants set on fire in a [[plum pudding]] can, attached to a chair leg. He successfully managed to hand over the fake flame to the [[Mayor of Sydney]], [[Pat Hills]] and escape without being noticed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebirdman.org/Index/Temp/Temp-OlympicUnderwearRelay-EH.htm

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In 2004, the first [[2004 Olympic Torch Relay|global torch relay]] was undertaken, a journey that lasted 78 days. The Olympic flame covered a distance of more than 78,000 km in the hands of some 11,300 torchbearers, travelling to Africa and South America for the first time, visiting all previous and future Summer Olympic cities, and finally returning to [[Greece]] for the [[2004 Summer Olympics]].

The [[2008 Summer Olympics torch relay]] spanned ~~all the five~~six continents before proceeding through [[China]]. However, there was protests against China's human rights record in London where a "ring of steel" was formed around the flame to protect it, but one protester managed to grab hold of the torch while it was being held by television presenter [[Konnie Huq]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lews|first1=Paul|last2=Kelso|first2=Paul|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/apr/07/olympicgames2008.china2|title=Thousands protest as Olympic flame carried through London|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=7 April 2008|access-date=18 May 2011}}</ref> In Paris the torch was extinguished at least twice by Chinese officials (five times according to French police<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.lexpress.fr/info/quotidien/actu.asp?id=469562 "Flamme olympique: ce qui s'est vraiment passé à Paris"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412041828/http://www.lexpress.fr/info/quotidien/actu.asp?id=469562 |date=12 April 2008 }}, ''L'Express'', 8 April 2008</ref>) so that it could be transported in a bus amid protests while it was being paraded through Paris.<ref>{{cite web | website=thisislondon.co.uk | date=4 April 2008 | title=Paris protests force Olympic flame to be extinguished | url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/article-23475330-details/Paris+protests+force+Olympic+flame+to+be+extinguished/article.do | access-date=19 April 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408134410/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/article-23475330-details/Paris+protests+force+Olympic+flame+to+be+extinguished/article.do | archive-date=8 April 2008 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.france24.com/en/20080408-olympic-torch-inflames-protesters-san-francisco-2008-beijing-olympics-usa&navi=MONDE "China condemns Olympic torch disruptions"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223060402/http://www.france24.com/en/20080408-olympic-torch-inflames-protesters-san-francisco-2008-beijing-olympics-usa%26navi%3DMONDE |date=23 February 2012 }}, France 24, 8 April 2008</ref> This eventually led to the cancellation of the relay's last leg in the city.<ref>{{cite news

| url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23978408/

| title=Paris protests force cancellation of torch relay.

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The cauldron and the pedestal are always the subjects of unique and often dramatic design. These also tie in with ''how'' the cauldron is lit during the Opening Ceremony. After being lit, the flame in the Olympic cauldron continues to burn during the Games, until the [[Olympic closing ceremonies|closing ceremony]], when it is finally put out symbolizing the official end of the Games.

*In Los Angeles in 1984, [[Rafer Johnson]] lit a wick at the top of the archway after having climbed a big flight of steps. The flame flared up a pipe, through the Olympic Rings, and on up the side of the tower to ignite the cauldron. The cauldron used in 1984 is the centerpiece of the [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]]; it was used in 1932 and will likely also be used in 2028.

*In Atlanta in 1996, the cauldron was an artistic [[scroll]] decorated in red and gold. It was lit by [[Muhammad Ali]], using a mechanical, self-propelling fuse ball that transported the flame up a wire from the stadium to its cauldron.<ref>{{YouTube|id=5TaITzi64Sw|title=1996 Atlanta Opening Ceremonies — Lighting of the Cauldron}}</ref> At the [[1996 Summer Paralympics]], the scroll was lit by [[paraplegic]] [[climbing|climber]] [[Mark Wellman]], hoisting himself up a rope to the cauldron.

*In the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in Sydney, [[Cathy Freeman]] walked across a circular pool of water and ignited the cauldron through the water, surrounding herself within a ring of fire. The planned spectacular climax to the ceremony was delayed by the technical glitch of a computer switch that malfunctioned, causing the sequence to shut down by giving a false reading. This meant that the Olympic flame was suspended in mid-air for about four minutes, rather than immediately rising up a water-covered ramp to the top of the stadium. When it was discovered what the problem was, the program was overridden and the cauldron continued up the ramp, where it finally rested on a tall silver pedestal.

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*For the [[2020 Summer Olympics]] in [[Tokyo]], Japan, the flame was handed to [[Naomi Osaka]], who stood in front of a large mountain-like structure resembling [[Mount Fuji]]. At the top of the mountain was a large closed ball, resembling the sun. This ball unfolded, revealing many petals of a flower representing hope, energy and vitality, forming the [[2020 Summer Olympics cauldron|cauldron]]. Osaka then walked up a set of steps revealed as the ball unfolded and lit the cauldron. As with the Vancouver and Rio games, two cauldrons were made. One scenographic was located inside the Olympic stadium and the official outside, which was located on the [[Ariake West Canal]] bridge.

*The Organizing Committee of the [[2022 Winter Olympics]] held in Beijing, chose to eschew the Olympic cauldron entirely, and used a small structure: the final two torchbearers — the skiers Zhao Jiawen and [[Dinigeer Yilamujiang]] — fitted the last torch into a pedestal at the centre of a large sculpture of a snowflake, constructed from placards with the names of each competing [[National Olympic Committee]]. Another two cauldrons were lit after, at the games' other two clusters, and the official cauldron was within the [[Olympic Green]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2022-02-04|title=Uyghur athlete lights Olympic Cauldron as Beijing 2022 officially opens|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1118798/beijing-2022-opening-ceremony|access-date=2022-02-04|website=Inside the Games}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Chappell|first=Bill|date=2022-02-04|title=The Beijing Winter Olympics' cauldron lighting made a political statement|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/02/04/1078234213/beijing-olympics-flame-torch-uyghur|access-date=2022-02-04}}</ref>

*For the [[2024 Summer Olympics]] in Paris, the [[2024 Summer Olympics cauldron|cauldron]] appeared to lift a [[hot air balloon]], an echo of France's [[Montgolfier brothers|historical contributions to balloon flight]], tethered to the Grand Bassin Rond fountain in the [[Tuileries Garden]]. To symbolize a commitment to sustainability, instead of combusting a fuel, the cauldron was fully illuminated by electricity, using 40 computer-controlled [[light-emitting diode]]s illuminating a ring of water-filled [[aerosol spray dispenser]]s, in partnership with [[Électricité de France]]. The actual flame is kept burning in a lantern that is displayed adjacent to the cauldron in the gardens.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keh |first1=Andrew |title=The Olympic Flame Isn’t a Flame at All |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/world/olympics/flame-cauldron-balloon.html |website=The New York Times |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=de Sortiraparis |first1=Rhizlaine |title=Paris 2024 Olympics: where has the REAL Olympic flame gone? |url=https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/news/olympic-games-paris-2024/articles/317911-paris-2024-olympics-where-has-the-real-olympic-flame-gone |website=Sortiraparis |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref> While the balloon is a [[helium]] sphere, it is not a hot-air design.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2024-07-26|title=The Cauldron of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 takes to the skies to shine over the capital|url=https://press.paris2024.org/news/the-cauldron-of-the-olympic-games-paris-2024-takes-to-the-skies-to-shine-over-the-capital-3dfe1-7578a.html}}</ref>

: {{main|2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics cauldron}}

File:Olympiastadion Berlin Innenansicht.jpg|Traditional Olympic cauldrons often employ a simple bowl-on-pedestal design, such as the cauldron used for the [[1936 Summer Olympics]].

File:~~The_XIV_Olympic_Games_opens_in_London~~The XIV Olympic Games opens in London,~~_1948~~ 1948.jpg|Olympic cauldron at London 1948.

File:Olympiatuli 1952.jpg|Olympic cauldron at Helsinki 1952.

File:Norma Enriqueta Basilio Sotelo (1968).jpg|Olympic cauldron at Mexico 1968.

File:~~Stephane_Prefontaine~~Stephane Prefontaine,~~_Sandra_Henderson_1976b~~ Sandra Henderson 1976b.jpg|Olympic cauldron at Montreal 1976.

File:RIAN archive 104486 22nd Olympics opening gala.jpg|Olympic cauldron at Moscow 1980.

File:Seoul Olympic torch.jpg|[[Kim Won-tak]] (athlete), [[Chong Son-man]] (teacher) und [[Son Mi-jong]] (dance student) during the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at [[1988 Summer Olympics]]

File:Barcelona AUGUST 1992 the Olympic Games (Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona 1992) - panoramio.jpg|Olympic cauldron at 1992 Summer Olympics.

File:Atlanta cauldron during 1996 Paralympics.jpg|Olympic and Paralympic cauldron at Atlanta 1996 Games

File:Olympic Flame 2000 (Summer Olympics).JPEG|Olympic flame lit at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney|Sydney, Australia]].

File:2002 Winter Olympics flame.jpg|Olympic flame lit at the [[2002 Winter Olympics]] in [[Salt Lake City|Salt Lake City, Utah]].

File:Olympic flame at opening ceremony 2004 (cropped).jpg|~~The~~ 2004 Summer Olympics cauldron during the opening ceremony at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens]], [[Greece]].

File:Braciere Olimpico.jpg|Olympic cauldron at Turin 2006.

File:Beijing 2008 Olympic cauldron lighting (cropped).JPG|Olympic ~~cauldron~~Cauldron at Beijing 2008 during the opening ceremony.

File:Vancouver 2010 Public Caldron.jpg|Public ~~cauldron~~Cauldron of Vancouver 2010.

File:Olympic Cauldron after being lit at the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.jpg|More artistic and [[Abstract art|abstract]] designs for cauldrons, including the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] cauldron, have also been used.

File:Opening of XXII Winter Olympic Games (2338-13).jpg|Cauldrons can also take on monolithic forms, an example of which being the "cauldron tower" used for Sochi 2014.

File:2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony 1035326-olimpiadas abertura-4006.jpg|The Rio 2016 Games had an innovative cauldron, which featured a kinetic sculpture with a small flame.

File:Candelária cauldron at 2016 Summer Olympics.jpg|~~The Rio~~ 2016 public cauldron in downtown [[Rio de Janeiro]].

File:2018 Winter Olympics Cauldron (1).jpeg|~~The~~ [[2018 Winter Olympics]] Cauldron in [[Pyeongchang County|Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]].

File:Tokyo 2020 Olympics Cauldron - 51498730288.jpg|~~The~~ [[2020 Summer Olympics]] Cauldron in [[Tokyo~~|Tokyo, Japan~~]].

File:2022 Winter Olympics cauldron at Yanqing Winter Olympic Cultural Square (20220219134049).jpg|One of the three public flames of Beijing 2022.

File:Vasque Olympique Jardin Tuileries - Paris I (FR75) - 2024-07-27 - 225.jpg|~~The~~ [[2024 Summer Olympics]] ~~Cauldron~~and ~~tethered~~Paralympics tocauldron|2024 ~~the~~Summer ~~Grand~~Olympics ~~Bassin~~and ~~Rond~~Paralympics]] ~~fountain during the day~~Cauldron in ~~the~~ ~~[[Tuileries Garden]] (~~[[Paris]]).

</gallery>

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==Commercialization==

Prior to the [[2002 Winter Olympics]], professor [[Bob Barney]] co-authored the book ''Selling the Five Rings'' (2002), with Stephen Wenn and Scott Martyn, which discussed the history of corporate sponsorships and television rights for the Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lectures by Olympic Historians Begin Aug. 30|date=August 19, 2001|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|page=D6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-2002-winter-olympi/129778162/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Arts in the spotlight|last=Romine-Peterson|first=Jessica|agency=|date=October 31, 2001|newspaper=[[Park Record]]|location=Park City, Utah|page=36|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-park-record-olympics-2001/129824070/}}</ref> Barney argued that the Olympic torch had been commercialized since its inception in 1936, and that sponsors of the torch relay benefit from brand awareness; whereas the medal [[podium]] ceremonies which began in 1932, had not become commercialized since no advertising is allowed inside Olympic venues.<ref>{{cite news|title=Olympic Torch Relay, Commercial to Begin With, Has Become More So, Historian Says|last=Hemphill|first=Lex|date=January 22, 2002|newspaper=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|location=Salt Lake City, Utah|page=C4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-2002-winter-olympi/129778187/}}</ref>

==See also==

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* {{YouTube|id=ULBmXchVKN4|title=Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony for PyeongChang 2018}}

* {{YouTube|id=7lF1KEOh-BY|title=Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony for Rio 2016}}

* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/index_uk.asp Official site of the Olympic Movement] -– Images and information on every game since 1896

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090325013924/http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_655.pdf IOC brochure on the history of Olympic flame (1 MB PDF)]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080413133258/http://www.torchrelay.net/ TorchRelay.net] -– Torch Relay coverage. Includes torchbearer profiles, photos, videos, and more.

* [http://www.athensinfoguide.com/olympictorchessummer.htm Athens Info Guide] -– A list of past torches

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040625115915/http://www.sondrenorheim.com/olympics/ Sondre Norheim -– on the three occasions when the Olympic flame was lit in Morgedal]

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7330949.stm BBC article on the history of the torch]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080424034745/http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/olympics/ The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936 -– online exhibition]