Paris: In a momentous event held at the headquarters of the organising Committee in Paris, President of Paris 2024, Tony Estanguet, along with torch designer Mathieu Lehanneur and production partner ArcelorMittal, proudly presented the torch that will symbolise the spirit of unity and excellence during the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games. The torch will be carried by 11,000 individuals (10,000 for the Olympic Games and 1,000 for the Paralympic Games) during the torch relay, which will commence with the first steps of the Olympic Torch Relay in France on May 8, 2024.
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Torch stands at 70cm tall with a minimum diameter of 3.5cm and a maximum diameter of 10cm. It weighs 1.5kg and is crafted from ArcelorMittal XCarb steel sourced from recycled and renewable sources. The Torch will be fueled by Biopropane, further highlighting its eco-friendly credentials.
This remarkable torch will embark on an extraordinary journey, covering thousands of kilometres, before ultimately fulfilling its destiny by lighting the Olympic cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Following two weeks of intense competition, it will then embark on a new chapter, lighting the cauldron once again at the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games on August 28, 2024.
Unveiling the torch’s design, President Tony Estanguet emphasised the significance of unity between the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In a departure from tradition, both games will share a common emblem and mascot, and now a single torch design.
“This object embodies every edition of the Games,” said Estanguet during the press conference. “When we look back at history, every torch is more beautiful than the others, each with its own uniqueness. Every country tries to showcase its creativity, and we can see that. It’s an aesthetic object that says something.”
At the heart of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Torch’s design is its distinctive champagne colour, which exudes a unique and radiant allure. Drawing inspiration from three Paris 2024 symbols—equality, Water, and peacefulness—torch designer Mathieu Lehanneur masterfully incorporated these elements into the torch’s aesthetic.
“Equality is symbolized by perfect symmetry,” Lehanneur explained. “Water is symbolised by the wave, relief, and vibration effects. Peacefulness is symbolised by the gentleness of the curves.”
Emphasising the importance of lightness in the torch’s design, Lehanneur stated, “We worked like sculptors; we didn’t want to add things. From the initial idea, we instead wanted to come back to the essence of what we were looking for: the least material possible and as much lightness as possible.”
For the torch designer, the opportunity to design the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Torch was a dream come true. Known for his works featured in prestigious public and private collections worldwide, Lehanneur described the Torch as a mythical object—a symbol of cohesion and sharing that will traverse thousands of kilometres, passed from one individual to another, on both land and sea.
A limited edition of 2,000 torches has been produced, each representing the unity, diversity, and spirit of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
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