Thursday, January 29, 2015

Tocha Olímpica Tease

It may not be the biggest Olympic Torch Relay in history, but when the 2016 flame caravan touches down in the host nation in May next year, it will be the most Brazilian.

Today organizers at Rio 2016 announced a few, teasing details of their Olympic Torch Relay, which will begin roughly 100 days before the Opening Ceremony on 5 August.

By the numbers, the light brigade will include:
  • Visits to 250 cities and towns
  • Routes connecting urban and rural dots across 26 states and the Federal District
  • Capital cities to be visited: 27
  • Ten to 12 hours per day in transit
  • Proximity to more than 180 million of Brazil's nearly 203 million residents (about 90 percent
    of the host nation's population may see the relay in motion)
  • More than 10,000 torchbearers on foot
  • Over 20,000km driven by caravan vehicles (per vehicle)
  • At least 10,000 airline miles as the Olympic flame is delivered from Greece to Brazil
  • Tens of thousands of torchbearer nominations anticipated (process to be announced)
  • One amazing new torch design (to be unveiled later this year; press materials state the torch relay logo "hints" at the chosen torch design)
  • Three official presenting sponsors: Coca-Cola, Nissan and Bradesco (Olympic torch relay beverages, buggies and banking, respectively).
I'm excited by the possibilities afforded by this South American Olympiad.

Will the flame get pulled up an Amazon Basin hillside atop a 300 ton "Fitzcarraldo" steamship? (Wait, no, that took place in Peru.)

Will Wonder Woman and other Amazon women take part in the exchange of torches? (Only if they do so in Greece, where  that Amazon character originated.)

How will the monumental architecture of Brasilia get its due, along with São Paulo landmarks and those at Foz do Iguaçu? (Amazing torch-inclusive photo opps await!)

Stay tuned for updates!

Relay images via Rio 2016; Brazil map photo via Twitter.com/Rio2016 @Rio2016. Fitzcarraldo photo via this blog.

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