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For many fans, the Olympic Games do not truly start until the Olympic cauldron is lit. This flame is a powerful symbol of the event. It begins its journey in Greece, the ancient home of the games. From there, the torch travels through a long relay to the host city. The final moment of lighting the cauldron is usually a beautiful and exciting part of the opening ceremony. Most of these moments are memorable. However, some have been surprisingly unusual or even strange. Here are four of the most unusual torch lightings in Olympic history.
Viewers know that the Olympic Games truly begin when the Olympic cauldron is lit. After all, it's a symbol of the Games for everyone to see during the duration of competition with a flame originally lit in Greece, the home of the ancient games, before traveling in a torch relay to reach the Olympic Cauldron.
The torch lighting at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, was one of the most dramatic ever. Instead of a person simply walking up to a cauldron, officials chose a special and risky method. They selected Antonio Rebollo, a Spanish Paralympian archer, to light the flame. His job was to shoot a flaming arrow. The arrow needed to fly through a stream of gas released from the cauldron, which was located high above the stadium. When the arrow passed through the gas, it would catch fire and ignite the giant Olympic flame.
This was a very dangerous plan. Rebollo had to be extremely precise. If he missed the stream of gas, the cauldron would not light. Also, he could not let the flaming arrow land in the crowd of people. To keep everyone safe, planners had Rebollo aim to overshoot the cauldron. The plan was for the arrow to land safely in a sandbox placed outside the stadium. On the night of the ceremony, Rebollo took aim and fired. The flaming arrow soared through the air. It passed perfectly through the gas and lit the cauldron. The arrow then continued its arc and landed safely in the sandbox, just as planned. It was a stunning and unforgettable moment for everyone watching.
The opening ceremony for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, included a beautiful tradition: the release of doves. Doves are a symbol of peace, and letting them fly free was meant to represent the peaceful spirit of the Games. Unfortunately, this tradition led to a sad and unusual accident. After the doves were released, some of them did not fly away. Instead, they landed on the rim of the large, cold Olympic cauldron. It seemed like a good place for the birds to rest and watch the ceremony.