Olympics: Hot air balloon flame will be open to public throughout Paris Games
The Olympic cauldron, lit on Friday evening, will be accessible to visitors free of charge for the duration of the Games, according to the event organisers and energy company EDF, which created the electric flame.
Starting on Saturday morning, and every day during the Games, 10,000 people will be able to visit the flame, at a rate of 300 people per 15 minutes, the organising committee said.
The cauldron, lit by former athlete Marie-José Pérec and judoka Teddy Riner at the conclusion of Friday’s opening ceremony, is in the Jardin des Tuileries close to the Louvre museum. It takes the form of a hot air balloon, in honour of the French Montgolfier brothers who pioneered the technology in the 1780s. It will stand on the ground during the day, before being launched into the skies every evening at sunset.
EDF says the “flame ring” symbolises “a more responsible future, an electric future”, according to a press release. The flame is actually a stream of light projected onto a “cloud of water”. “The apparent simplicity of this solution, made possible by technological advances in LEDs, conceals long hours of work,” the company said.
Torchbearers Teddy Riner and Marie-José Pérec light the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games, 26 July 2024 © PHOTO XINHUA / JIANG WENYAO / ABACAPRESS.COM
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