Olympic Torch And Torch Relay Route To Be Unveiled

[Filipe_Golias]

Yeah, the torch is nice... simple but original, with that scroll design. And the gray in between the cloud pattern softens the red color which almost covers the whole torch.

The relay is a bit unbalanced, mostly because of the massive route inside China, which practically leaves many truly Olympic world cities outside. I mean, I was wondering why cities like Dar-es-Salam, San Francisco, Almaty and St. Petersburg where chosen. The first two were already explained but what was the reason for the others?

[Faster]

The Chinese has a terrible relationship with Kazakhstan, so I find Almaty strange

Edited April 26, 2007 by Faster

[baron-pierreIV]

Hmmm. The torch is nice -- simple and elegant. ALSO, the idea of the SCROLL is EXACTLY what I submitted to BOCOG -- altho my design was a little more elaborate than what took 34 designers to make -- and I had it on a silver and gold color scheme rather than this red. (I'm also surprised they didn't say it took 88 designers to craft the damned thing, requiring 888 hours!!)

Of course, I never heard from BOCOG -- even though I spent quite a bit to send it FedEX. BUt I would like to think that, of course, it is coming to San Francisco (as the only North American stop) not only because of the large Chinese community here; but because the Baron lives here and they are out to make amends!!

Was also right in:

- NO Silk Route (funny; makes no reference to Marco Polo or his route whatsoever).

- hitting major ex-pat Chinese communities

- NO Transiberian Express.

Edited April 26, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[Olympian2004]

First of all, the torch design:

Especially when you see the torch like here, carried by someone, it appears pretty dull (since it's too straight) and cheap to me. I mean, it looks like a wrapping paper roll. So it'll be quite easy to pretend that you own an original Beijing 2008 torch. Just go to your next department store, buy some Christmas-like red-and-silver wrapping paper and light it -- that's all! So you can tell that I'm pretty disappointed by that design. It's just another case of "We had a nice idea, but in reality the design looks awful" (just like Beijing's Olympic Stadium).

Secondly, the torch relay route:

It appears pretty random indeed that cities like Almaty, Daressalam and Canberra are on the list. Why are they still going to London and Paris then? Why not rather Newcastle and Montpellier? I think that route is a pretty crazy mixture of megacities and smaller capitals. I would have liked it much better if they had left the global torch relay as an unique characteristic of the Athens 2004 Games and concentrated the relay on the Asian continent instead.

So: Sorry, Beijing -- but for me, those two concepts are disappointing.

[baron-pierreIV]

I mean, it looks like a wrapping paper roll.

Isn't that what a "scroll" is?

Why are they still going to London and Paris then?

Well, London and Paris are the 2 major European cities which I believe have the highest number of residents of Chinese ethnicity, more so than say, Rome, Berlin, Madrid or even Moscu. Obviously, the planners got input from their embassies and consulates abroad insofar as interaction of the local Chinese communities with the PRC diplomatic posts AND/OR there are some prestige projects that Beijing wants in some of those countries, so including them in the Torch Relay becomes an additional compliment.

Edited April 26, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[zainhasan15]

Foolish route...............................

first of all what is the sense of ATHENS TO BEIJING direct non-stop flight of flame and then domestic and International portion of relay???

Torch relay is a journey of Olympic flame from Olympia to host city, If flame will go directly to Beijing than why they are thinking about busy international route?

TORCH ROUTE SEEMS TO BE A DESTINATION MAP OF CHINESE AIRLINES.

[PYRROS2004]

Maybe the sponsors decide (or propose) a couple of cities for the Olympic Flame to visit?

[Olympian2004]

Isn't that what a "scroll" is?

Yes and no. Yes, it belongs to the "family" of scrolls. And no because for the Olympic Games, I'd rather expect a scroll not looking that much like wrapping paper but like something more elegant and less trivial.

[baron-pierreIV]

Yes and no. Yes, it belongs to the "family" of scrolls. And no because for the Olympic Games, I'd rather expect a scroll not looking that much like wrapping paper but like something more elegant and less trivial.

Well, 'beauty' is in the eye of the beholder. I think it's VERY elegant considering its usage; and if anybody should feel a bit miffed about being ripped off in terms of an idea -- (NOT that I had exclusive rights to it), it should be me. But actually, I feel complimented in a way.

And when the Torch comes to town, I certainly will let the organizers know to give some credit where credit is due!

[Faster]

I just don't get why only San Fransisco is the only North American stop, the Chinese culture is just as prevalent in Vancouver, it would have been ran through Sun Yet San Park, I believe he is still thought of well in China.

Almaty is the largest central Asian city, but it still doesn't make any sense, also why Islamabad and not Lahore or Kiruchi, with India and Mumbai it makes sense, but why Ho Chi Minh City and not Hanoi? Also whay Nagano when there are more important cities in Japan that they could have gone to while still not going to Tokyo, what about Nagoya, Sapporo, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima? Why Buenos Aires? Why Camberra and not Melbourne or Sydney, why Muscat but not Dubai? St. Petersburg and not Moscow. None of it makes sense.

[Olympian2004]

Foolish route...............................

first of all what is the sense of ATHENS TO BEIJING direct non-stop flight of flame and then domestic and International portion of relay???

Torch relay is a journey of Olympic flame from Olympia to host city, If flame will go directly to Beijing than why they are thinking about busy international route?

TORCH ROUTE SEEMS TO BE A DESTINATION MAP OF CHINESE AIRLINES.

That's true. I think that the Olympic Flame should reach the host city not earlier than a couple of days before the opening ceremony. Thus the anticipation can rise and it's something very special when the flame finally enters the host city. But now, there won't be a lot of anticipation in Beijing when the flame already stops over in the city before the torch relay begins.

I thought that this "two stopovers in the host city" concept made sense only in Athens since the city hosted the first modern Olympic Games, then gave it to other cities of the world and finally the Games returned home after that long global journey.

[baron-pierreIV]

I just don't get why only San Fransisco is the only North American stop..

The Baron lives there, and they owe me one!!

Vancouver? Well, they don't want to promote Vancouver's Games. Let VANOC do it on its own time.

Edited April 26, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[Guardian]

I am very shocked that Vancouver was not included, it and San Fransisco are the primary areas of Chinese culture in North America.

I think there is still some fallout from Canada's relationship with China in one general regard lately. Never mind that Canada will have its own torch relay, come Vancouver 2010. Of course, we could come with so many reasons why BOCOG chose this decision for their torch relay that we could be talking about this "forever." Now that the torch relay is going to be "remote copycat repeat of Athens 2004", will London 2012 follow suit?

Anyway, I think the torch itself is a good one overall. My late father was a historian wanna-be and he has dealt with scrolls in the past. Makes one wonder if a scroll will be used in the opening ceremony in any capacity, besides the torch. I would think so.

[baron-pierreIV]

Makes one wonder if a scroll will be used in the opening ceremony in any capacity, besides the torch. I would think so.

I'm not saying. But that's part of the reason for the stop in SF. They need to run some Ceremonial ideas by me.

Also, SF has the biggest "Asian" museum in North America Asian Art Museum of San Francisco-- so I would think there will be some event at the Asian tied in with Relay.

And the Bay Area is due to get its own pair of pandas, even though those will be in the Oakland Zoo. I hope they get all those events coordinated.

Edited April 26, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[rav3n]

Well, i didn't had time to watch it Live (but i recorded the unveiling ceremony since i have CCTV-4 at my cable service) because of the works. For being honest, i liked the torch, also the spiral shape at the end of it (where the flame will come out) is very interesting.

As i predicted (haha! i got ya ), it is the turn for Buenos Aires now to be the south american city hosting the torch relay (congratulations for Argentina). Anyway the rest of the relay throught America was very short for me, only Buenos Aires & San Francisco?? I tought they would use Mexico again or some caribbean city. The big winners of the torch relay hosting are Asia, since it will pass for new zones like Islamabad & Bangkok (shocked that Nagano was elected instead of Tokyo).

Now im going to save the vids and upload them to Youtube for those who wants to see it again or for those who couldn't watch it (anyway en.beijing2008.com is too damn slow)

[baron-pierreIV]

since it will pass for new zones like Islamabad & Bangkok (shocked that Nagano was elected instead of Tokyo).

Obviously, they are telling the Japanese Olympic Committee something: do NOT count on the PRC vote(s) for Tokyo, come Copehangen 2009.

[Filipe_Golias]

Hmmm. The torch is nice -- simple and elegant. ALSO, the idea of the SCROLL is EXACTLY what I submitted to BOCOG -- altho my design was a little more elaborate than what took 34 designers to make -- and I had it on a silver and gold color scheme rather than this red. (I'm also surprised they didn't say it took 88 designers to craft the damned thing, requiring 888 hours!!)

Of course, I never heard from BOCOG -- even though I spent quite a bit to send it FedEX. BUt I would like to think that, of course, it is coming to San Francisco (as the only North American stop) not only because of the large Chinese community here; but because the Baron lives here and they are out to make amends!!

You submitted a design? How cool Was the process complex, too demanding? I would consider participating in similar contests for future Olympics...

[baron-pierreIV]

You submitted a design? How cool Was the process complex, too demanding? I would consider participating in similar contests for future Olympics...

That I did. It was a little complicated in that, unless you are some sort of pyrotechnic engineer or whatever would be the closest field, including the technical inner workings of a 'Torch' is a little difficult to render credibly.

The details of the competition were posted on their website.

But I am not surprised by the results. Beijing's 'Ceremonial / Peripheral' ideas/designs are all 'design by Committee' (i.e., 'borrowed' designs from the submissions). People here know that I was consulted for Ceremonial costings by a US TV-producer who 'supposedly was asked to submit a bid' when BOCOG put out the international tender for Ceremonies' production companies.

Back then (a little over a year ago), he was already complaining that BOCOG sort of was not very subtle about it; that regardless of who submitted what, BOCOG felt it was free to 'pick and choose' ideas/personnel from the many suibmissions around the world -- rather contrary to the Western concept of 'ideas for hire' -- you get paid or compensated for intellectual brain-storming that you do.

In short, I never forgot which country produces the highest number of 'pirated' copies of Western movies and CDs? You guessed it. It's 'piracy' on an Olympic scale this time.

Edited April 26, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[zainhasan15]

will NOCs of lucky countries chose lucky bearers or BOCOG will decide who is going to handle flame?

Actually now I am getting worried becaues of selection procedures,

There is big ratio of "corruption" in my country, so it will be very diffiult to get part in torch relay becaues NOC Pakistan will give chance only to thier relatives, film-stars and cricketers. Espacially son and daughters of minsters will carry flame.

I dont want to miss this chance this is the first time that Olympic flame is coming to Pakistan, but unfortunatly 98% of Pakistansis do not know about Olympic tradation, flame history and concept becaues all of them are uninterted in Olympism, they just care about circket and cirketers.

But when there will be a relay every one will try to push his nose in the event (not becaues of Olympism, but due to TV cameras, publicity, a shirt and necker).

[baron-pierreIV]

will NOCs of lucky countries chose lucky bearers or BOCOG will decide who is going to handle flame?

It probably will be the NOC in partnership with whomever are the sponsors for the event. Did the unveilings indicate which corporate name is the Worldwide Partner for this? Those would probably help pick the runners.

But, in say, San Francisco or Buenos Aires, being the only 2 stops on their continents, and 1 city each, my guess is they would only pick like 50 or so runners per city -- especially San Francisco. The City is around 43 sq. miles and a lot of hills, so they aren't going to have more than 50 or so runners.

[cfm Jeremie]

It probably will be the NOC in partnership with whomever are the sponsors for the event. Did the unveilings indicate which corporate name is the Worldwide Partner for this? Those would probably help pick the runners.

The usual Coke and Samsung plus Lenovo are the Beijing 2008 Torch Relay partners.

[baron-pierreIV]

Here's Lenovo's official version of the story:

It's called the "Cloud of Promise" yeah, right.

Edited April 26, 2007 by baron-pierreIV

[rav3n]

Well as i promised: Unveiling of Beijing 2008 Torch Video. Wait something more for the torch relay vid and other things.

And here we go again with Taiwan . Now they are totally angry because, even that they're named Taipei, the torch will enter to Hong Kong (Mainland China) after the relay finish there, so they consider this as an attempt to include Taiwan at the domestic relay.

Anyway, Hau Lung-bin, Mayor of Taipei said, “we don’t want any hypothetical situation stopping the torch relay, giving Taiwan a bad reputation of political interference in sports”.

He said, “we are ready for it. We will take the Olympic torch to the top of the world’s tallest building, the Taipei 101 and let the world know Taipei”.

[seamus21514]

I like the shape and colour of the torch, but I don't like the swirly things on the chrome part. I like things simple, and if it was just red on bottom and chrome on top, it would be better. I can live with it though. I expected something syndey-esque.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

I never liked this "hopping" from continent to continent - why does the torch had to be flown from Greece to China and back to Europe, North-America, South-America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and back to Asia and finally to China?

I don't even see it as sign of harmony - it is just a little bit torch here - a little bit torch there and a little bit torch over there - it's just marketing...