Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

12. Torch Relay
12.1
Basic Preparations
12.1.1
The Meaning and History of the
Olympic Flame
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The sacred flame, the light and fire of
God's blessing on humankind, is the
symbol of the Olympics and the aim of
consolidating the goodwill and friendship
of youths from all over the world
despite different racial, ideological,
religious, and cultural backgrounds
through sports.
The ancient Greeks sought the blessing
of the heaven and strove for harmony
and peace by conducting rituals
and holding arts and sports competitions
in festivals at Olympia, where
they lit a sacred flame symbolizing the
blessings from their gods. The ancient
Greeks would also light sacred flames
brought from Olympia when they
established new overseas territories.
An Olympic flame was first lit at a
modern Olympiad in 1928 at the ninth
Amsterdam Olympic Games. However,
it was only at the 1936 Berlin Games
that a flame lit at Olympia, Greece,
through the traditional use of the sun's
rays was relayed to the host city.
Since the Berlin Games, the sacred
flame has become an essential symbol
of the Modern Olympics and has
been relayed from Olympia to the host
cities of the Games in various ways.
The torch relay, reviving the ancient
Olympic spirit, aims to link the ancient
and the modern. And the sacred flame
symbolizes the courage and hope of
the youth of the world. The torch relay
has been a unique part of each Olympiad
since Berlin.
In 1964 at the 18th Games in Tokyo, a
19-year-old college student, born on
the day when an atomic bomb was
dropped on Hiroshima, was the last
torchbearer and lit the flame cauldron
at the Olympic Stadium. At the 19th
Games in Mexico in 1968, the flame
which had traveled the same route as
Colombus's voyage to America, had a
woman as the final torchbearer for the
first time in history.
Laser technology was introduced in
the torch relay in 1976 for the 21st
Games in Montreal when the sacred
flame was sent directly to Montreal
from Athens by laser beams.
The IOC inserted articles concerning
the sacred flame into the Olympic
Charter in 1934, specifying that the
Olympic flame should be lit at the
Temple of Hera in Olympia and that
the organizing committee should be
responsible for the relay of the flame
from Olympia to the main stadium in
the host city.
The new articles of the Olympic Charter
also set a principle of only one flame
for each Olympiad allowing no exceptions
without the special approval of
the IOC.
12.1.2
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Overview of the Torch Relay
The goals for the torch relay were the
safe journey of the flame, the creation
of positive publicity and a festive mood
for the Games, and the publicizing of
the Korean people's aspirations for
world peace. SLOOC set guidelines for
the torch relay operation as follows:
1. Create and implement a torch relay
that demonstrates the unique nature of
the Seoul Games while abiding by the
spirit of the Olympic Charter.
2. Create a single route for the torch
relay that passes through all the cities
across the country linking the eastern
and western parts of the country.
3. Designate foreigners and Koreans
living abroad to take part in the torch
relay in order to attract worldwide
attention and participation.
4. Develop the torch relay equipment
and other logistics in the country and
secure them through sales of emblem
rights and donations in order to save
on budget.
5. Stage art festivals performed by
both foreign and Korean troupes at
major cities through which the torch
relay passes or stops overnight to
promote pan-national harmony and a
festive mood prior to the Games.
6. Build a monument commemorating
the arrival of the Olympic flame on the
Cheju-do.
The torch relay of the Seoul Games
began at 11 a.m. (local time), August
23, 1988 when the flame was lit at the
Temple of Hera at Olympia, Greece.
Timetable of the torch relay
• Aug. 23-25: From Olympia to Athens
(374 kilometers)
• Aug. 25: The flame was handed over to
SLOOC at 8:30 p.m. at the Panathenian
Stadium, Athens.
• Aug. 25-27: Flight from Athens to Cheju
• Aug. 27: Ceremonies at Cheju International
Airport for 90 minutes from 11 a.m.
to celebrate the arrival of the flame on
Korean soil.
• Aug. 27-Sept. 17: 22-day and 4,167.8
kilometer torch relay from Cheju to Seoul.
• Sept. 17: Lighting of the flame at the
Olympic Stadium in Seoul at 12:41 p.m.
12.1.3
Implementation
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Development of the torch relay plan
began virtually simultaneously with
the formation of the SLOOC.
The SLOOC placed more emphasis on
the torch relay than any other event in
light of the fact that the importance of
the torch relay in the Olympic Games
is as great as the Opening and Closing
Ceremonies and that the distance,
duration, manpower, and logistics
needed for the torch relay are greater
than those for any other project related
to the Games.
The SLOOC received a draft for agreement
on the torch relay from the
Hellenic Olympic Committee in
October 1984, and began discussions
on the lighting of the flame and the
torch relay in Greece. After rounds of
negotiations and compromises, the
SLOOC and the HOC reached a final
agreement in May 1987.
The SLOOC developed the torch relay
plan in three categories — international
relay, festivals greeting the flame,
and domestic relay — and completed
all the preparations before the team to
accept the flame left for Greece in
August 1988.
In an eight-month period from November
1987 to July 1988, the SLOOC completed
selection of an airplane and
fixed its flight schedule. The SLOOC
also chose the people to fly on the
plane for the airborne torch relay from
Greece to Cheju. Also, it completed
discussions with the National Olympic
Committee of the country (Thailand) in
which the plane would stop over.
Preparations for festive activities to
celebrate the arrival of the Olympic
flame began in July 1987. By August
1988, the SLOOC had completed
selection of venues for the welcoming
events, groups to perform in the
events, dances and ceremonies to be
performed, and dignitaries to attend
the events. Rehearsals were also
conducted.
The SLOOC began planning for the
selection of the torch relay team in
December 1987 and finalized the
masterplan in March 1988. Selection
and training of the torch relay team
members were completed in a threemonth
period beginning in April 1988.
Torchbearers were selected in May
and trained in rehearsals which
continued until August.
It was the relay route upon which
SLOOC placed the biggest emphasis
in the torch relay planning.
Beginning January 1987, the SLOOC
gathered opinions from all walks of life
until it finalized the torch relay route in
March. The SLOOC began on-the-spot
surveys on the torch relay route in April
in cooperation with pertinent government
authorities.
The SLOOC completed its research on
the items and quantity of equipment
and logistics needed for the torch relay
by March 1987, and placed orders for
purchase and manufacturing.
Functions and feasibilities of the
equipment and logistics were tested
on the relay courses in April. Deployment
of the equipment and logistics
materials was completed in June.
At the same time, preparations for
festivals, cultural events, public relations,
press operations and management
of the control room proceeded
according to the basic plan.
1. Passing through Kwangju on
September 1, 1988, the Olympic torch is
carried on a thatched sled used in folk
games at festivals of Korean farmers.
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