Olympic Torch Relay
Olympic torch relay will travel to all of Brazil's regions
Before lighting the flame at the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Games on 5 August, the Olympic torch will visit over 300 towns in all of Brazil's regions. The main Olympic symbol will follow an itinerary that will last between 90 and 100 days, travelling approximately 20 thousand kilometres.
The journey starts on 21 April 2016 in Greece, where the torch will be lit in Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. After a short trip in the country, the torch will be delivered to Brazil on 27 April. On 3 May, the Rio 2016 Olympic torch relay starts in Brasilia.
During the relay in Brazil, the torch will be carried by around 12 thousand people, in addition to flying 10 thousand miles through the country. The Olympic symbol will travel to 83 municipalities chosen as "celebration town": in each of them, a big event will be held, including a concert and other attractions. All the 27 capital cities are included on the itinerary.
The relay will be done by a convoy of vehicles, which will travel through around 500 locations: 300 towns will play host to the relay itself and another 200 will watch the convoy drive through with the torch on display. The full itinerary will be published at the start of 2016.
Planned as an event to promote and celebrate the Olympic spirit from the north to the south of the country, the relay's logo refers to the design of the Olympic torch itself and was chosen in a national contest. The warm colours refer to the flame and human warmth, common to Brazilians. This visual identification will also be part of the decoration in towns the torch will visit.
The route was decided taking into consideration logistic, tourist and cultural criteria. In addition to involving the Brazilian people in the warm-up for the 2016 Olympic Games, the relay has the aim of telling stories from all over Brazil and serving as an inspiration legacy for future generations.
Source:
Ministry of Sport
Public Information Office
+ 55 (61) 3217-1875
imprensa@esporte.gov.br
