As all you regular readers will know we’ve already done a piece about the unveiling of the Olympic torch for the 2012 London Olympics, and what a proud moment in history it was. But despite all that lovely gold there was the predictably negative British reaction. There is reason behind the design though, it’s a lovely way to make a statement. As we’ve all heard the cheese grater effect is to show the 8,000 runners from all round the world who’ll be taking part in the relay. Get it? Holes, round the world? Oh never mind. Inspired by all this elegant, witty symbolism we’ve picked out the torch designs from past Olympics that spoke volumes…

1936 Summer Olympics Berlin

The Nazi origin’s of the relay have led to calls from some people to drop it from the Olympics. The original torch was designed by sculptor Walter Lemcke who’s previous work involved designing the swastika bearing eagles that adorned Goring’s Air Ministry buildings in Berlin. Fritz Schilgen was chosen to run the final section of the relay due to his graceful running style. In fact it was so graceful that the BBC Commentator described him as ‘beautifully made, a very fine sight’. The whole relay was designed as a forum to publicly showcase the German ideaology, in fact it’s considered that the pro-Nazi demonstrations that occurred when the torch travelled through Vienna were a large factor in Austria’s annexation in 1938.

1964 Summer Olympics Tokyo

The torch for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was in keeping with the minimalistic theme created by Kenzo Tange, among others, who won a Pritziker Prize for his efforts. The idea behind the Olympics was to represent the rebirth of Japan after the horrors it had experienced during the Second World War. This was elegantly reflected by Yoshinori Sakai, who was born in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 the same day ‘Little Boy’ was dropped on it, lighting the Olympic Flame. Japan’s hosting of the Olympics is considered to be symbolic of their re-integration into the family of nations in the post-war era and the technological prowess they displayed demonstrated the potential they held in this area.

1988 Summer Olympics Seoul

The design of this torch began two years before the Olympics, and the effort was clearly worth it as they’ve produced possibly the most attractive torch the Olympics has seen. This torch was intended to shift the perception of Korea from a place which manufactured cheap mass produced goods to focus on the higher quality products that were coming out of Korea at the time.  In the wider scheme of things the Olympics itself was supposed to legitimise Chun Doo-hwan’s military dictatorship. Instead Chun was forced from power and the desire not to taint the Olympics with rioting and military suppression led, in part, to the establishment of democracy in South Korea.

1992 Winter Olympics Albertville This torch design by Phillipe Starck was supposed to mimic the flame that would issue from the top of it. However, the majority of commentators likened it to a sex toy.

1956 Summer Olympics Melbourne

However, my favourite torch was one made out of a table leg and a plum pudding can containing a pair of flaming pants. Barry Larkin, a local vetinary student at the time, tricked onlookers by pretending to be the runner carrying the flame. He managed to hand the torch over to the Mayor of Sydney at the time, Pat Hills, and escape unnoticed. It is possible that Pat Hills would have handed it over to the next runner unless someone had not murmured in his ear ‘Pat, that’s not the torch’.

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Written by: Will van Wyngaarden,  Brief and Crowd Executive, blur Group