What happens if the Olympic flame goes out and has it ever been extinguished?

26 July 2024, 16:00

The Olympic flame is an important part of the Games. Picture: Getty

By Hope Wilson

What does the Olympic flame represent, when was it introduced, has it ever gone out and what happens if it's extinguished?

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The Olympic flame and torches have become an iconic part of the Games and we're expecting them to be the star of the show during the Paris 2024 Olympics.

For years sporting fans have watched the flame be transported from Olympia in Greece to the Olympic host nation, where it will continue to burn for the duration of the Games.

An important part of the Opening and Closing ceremonies, many of us have started to wonder more about what the Olympic flame means.

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Has the Olympic flame ever gone out, what happens if it does, when was it first introduced and what does the flame represent?

The Olympic flame is lit in Olympia. Picture: Getty

What happens if the Olympic flame goes out?

If for some reason the Olympic flame is extinguished, it is quickly re-lit by a back-up flame. The way the modern torches are designed means that there are two flames inside, so there's less of a chance of the torch going out.

One flame burns cooler and is more likely to go out due to wind or rain, however there is a smaller, hotter flame within the torch which is protected from the outside and can reignite the cooler flame if needed.

Due to the Olympic torch being lit in Olympia, it is important that if the flame goes out, it is reignited by another flame which was set in Greece. But this hasn't always happened and organisers have been forced to act quickly in order to restart the flame.

The Olympic flame is transported from Greece to the host nation. Picture: Getty

Does the Olympic flame ever go out?

Despite officials trying their best to make sure the Olympic torch doesn't go out, there have been occasions in the past when the flame has stopped burning.

Most recently in 2014 the Olympic flame was blown out in Russia and ended up having to be re-lit by a security guard's cigarette lighter!

However this isn't the first time this has happened, as the 1976 Games saw an official relight the flame using a cigarette lighter, but this was quickly doused and reignited with the back-up flame from Olympia.

What does the Olympic flame represent?

According to the Olympics website, the flame represents the "manifestation of the positive values that Man has always associated with the symbolism of fire and thus makes the link between the ancient and the modern Games."

The torch also "spreads a message of peace and friendship between peoples" and has become an iconic part of the Games over the years.

The Olympic flame has been taken to Paris in 2024. Picture: Getty

When was the Olympic flame introduced?

The Olympic flame was introduced at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin and started the tradition of transporting the torch from Olympia to the host nation.

After reaching the site of the Opening Ceremony, the flame lights the Olympic cauldron, which will continue to burn throughout the Games, until being extinguished during the Closing Ceremony.