Paris Uses Fake Flame for Olympic Games
The Olympic cauldron’s flame is actually 40 LED lights and over 200 water misting nozzles, sparking debate among some fans.
MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images
The organizers of the Paris Olympic Games said they used a mix of water and light to create a “greener” flame for the Olympic cauldron, and some fans feel duped.
During the opening ceremony, French Olympic gold medalists Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner seemingly used torches to set the Olympic cauldron ablaze, but the flame was actually an illusion made with 40 LED lights and over 200 water misting nozzles.
Amid intensifying climate change concerns, Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, told The Telegraph that they wanted the Olympic cauldron to “use a new technology in order to not produce too many emissions.”
He added, “We were ambitious, and we wanted to bring together something spectacular and environmental responsibility at the same time.”
For some social media commentators on X, the fake flame was a flop.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“It's not even a flame, the symbol of the games is a fake. LED's and a smoke machine,” wrote X user @ShaGGy_Uk.
“I appreciated the ‘look’ that the balloon created - by it being somewhat reflective, the fake flame underneath lights it up so it has the classic look of a cauldron. THAT BEING SAID not even carrying a flame makes it the worst Olympic cauldron of all time,” added X user.
Others applauded the Olympics organizers for the green message.
“Very cool that the Olympic cauldron in Paris isn’t a real flame but an environmentally friendly water mist lit by LED lights. #Olympics #Paris2024,” wrote @elementalPaul on X.
The flame dates back to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, reported Time magazine. Carl Diem—secretary general of the Olympics’ organizing committee—suggested the idea of a flame being lit in Olympia, the founding site of the Olympics, and the torch was transported to seven countries.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.