Olympic flame opening ceremony of the Olympic Games at the site of the ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece. Eleven women, representing the Vestal Virgins, perform a celebration at the Temple of Hera in which the first torch of the Olympic Torch Relay is kindled by the light of the Sun, its rays concentrated by a parabolic mirror. After the ceremony at Olympia, the Olympic flame first travels around Greece, and is then transferred during a ceremony in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens from the prior Olympic city to the current year's host city. The Olympic torch relay in the host country ends
London 2012 Olympic Torch torchbearer runs. The torch has two layers: an inner and an outer 'skin' with 3,600 and 4,400 holes respectively, held in place by a top and a bottom casting. The pattern created by the perforations and the overlapping layers was inspired by the Olympic rings. The components are laser-welded together and the holes are laser cut. The London 2012 Torch is one of the lightest Olympic torches. It is made from gold PVD-finished aluminium. A torch was produced for every torchbearer (8,000); each weighs around and stands tall. The weight was achieved to ensure the torch was able to be