1952 Winter Olympics torch relay the symbolic fire lit in Olympia. The nine inch long torch was designed to cope with any weather condition that the relay team would face. Its cylindrical handle was topped off by a large, oval collar that depicted the Olympic rings, the year, and an arrow pointing from the start and end points of the relay (Morgedal and Oslo). A total of 94 renowned skiers or their descendants participated in the relay, the names of whom remained secret until they began their leg of the journey. The relay began on 13 February at the Morgedal home of Sondre Norheim, a
1984 Summer Olympics torch relay Thorpe, and Gina Hemphill, granddaughter of Jesse Owens, being given the honor of becoming the first torchbearers. The relay featured 3,636 torchbearers and spanned a distance of around , at the time the longest distance of any Olympic relay. Rafer Johnson, an Olympic decathlon gold medalist, was the final torchbearer. 1984 Summer Olympics torch relay The 1984 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from May 8 until July 28, prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The route covered around across the United States and involved over 3,600 torchbearers. Rafer Johnson lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony.