She added she was “keen” for the torch advertised on eBay to “go to a good home. Within hours of the relay’s start, one of the 8,000 torches used in the relay had popped up on eBay, with bids on Saturday afternoon exceeding $240,000 (the torchbearer threw in an extra-large uniform, as well.) A spokeswoman for the 2012 London Olympic Committee said that the torches are worth $783 - although bearers have the option to buy their torch for $340. Standing just over 30 inches tall, the torch has 8,000 tiny holes - some have dubbed it the “cheese grater” - and its three sides were inspired in part by the Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius,” Latin for “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” More than 100 people a day will carry the gold-colored torch whose design has been widely praised (in sharp contrast to the logo and mascot of the London Games). If the jubilant, swelling crowds Saturday are a sign of things to come, the torch relay could prove a key turning point in the mood of the nation, igniting enthusiasm in place of widespread apathy and grumbling over the estimated $14.7 billion cost of hosting the Games. A minimum of three Metropolitan Police officers, dressed in low-key grey sportswear, will flank each runner along the route. The triangular shape of the torch symbolizes the three times the British capital will have staged the Summer Olympics, after the 19 London Games. The oldest bearer, Diana Gould, was nominated for her commitment to sports and will be 100 years old when she carries the flame on July 25.ĭuring its journey, the flame will pass through England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, transported by various modes, including horseback, bicycle and a helium-filled balloon. Unlike Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008, London has not opted for an around-the-world torch relay, which proved an embarrassment for China when the flame’s progress was hindered by protesters.īut organizers have promised that the flame will pass within 10 miles of 95 percent of the British public, with most of the torchbearers nominated by local communities.

He is hoping to clinch his fourth gold medal this summer when London becomes the first city in the modern era to host the Games three times.

Royal Marine Martyn Williams carried the Olympic torch. “I think the Olympics is for everybody, so it’s great for people to be able to get up close to the torch and feel part of it,” Ainslie told the BBC. After years of preparation and months of buildup, Londons Olympic moment finally arrived Friday night.

London olympic torch