How are Olympic torch bearers chosen?
Asked by
Snarp (
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February 12th, 2010
So here’s a picture of the Governator carrying the Olympic flame. OK, he’s an advocate for fitness, and he’s a celebrity, but he’s also a political figure and not his sport isn’t an Olympic one. I’m trying to figure out the reasoning behind it, but I haven’t even been able to figure out how the torch bearers are chosen in the first place. Anyone know?
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12 Answers
They are chosen by the local Organizing Committee:
“Spreading the spirit of the 2010 Winter Games in China, Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented the Olympic Torch to Olympic speed-skating medallist Ye Qiaobo in Beijing today. Ye Qiabo is one of 14 international torchbearers chosen by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) in collaboration with Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC).”
Source
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Olympic Committee accepted applications from the public to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay, through their presenting partners, Coca-Cola and RBC. They invited members of the public to share stories about how they plan to make themselves, their community or their country a better place. The names of applicants that met the criteria were pooled and were randomly drawn.
A majority of the torchbearer spots, about 12,000, were given to members of the public, including those that the public applied for. But because of their strong support of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, an allotment of torchbearer spots went to sponsors and partners.
@njnyjobs Hmm, so I wonder if Schwarzenegger was a supporter or if he applied for it? It seems so odd for him to have applied, but anything’s possible.
One of the torchbearers in the Vancouver area was Sabrina Kolker, a Canadian rower in 2004 and 2008 (and coincidentally a cousin of one of the fluther founders).
“The torch….. reaches the final destination point of the day in the coastal city of Richmond located within the Metro Vancouver district and home of the Vancouver International Airport.
Judo Olympian Alan Sakai, equestrian Olympian Hawley Bennett, baseball Olympian Jimmy van Ostrand, rowing Olympian Sabrina Kolker and athletics Olympian Shirley Olafsson are scheduled to be torchbearers.”
http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=34221
Their ability to run feckin miles!.......
@Pazza actually, you don’t need the “ability to run feckin miles!” Torchbearers only run with the torch a distance of 300 meters.
@njnyjobs And haven’t some of them walked or even wheelchaired?
@Snarp…that is correct, torchbearers run or walk, or wheel for that matter, at their own pace. There were also flame attendants who escorted those t-bearers who needed assistance.
They are nominated by the people in each community. Although I saw three on air people: the weatherman, the news anchor, and the interviewer from the same morning TV show as torch bearers. That doesn’t make sense.
Wayne Gretzky is on the back of a flatbed truck right now, heading to the outdoor torch in Vancouver. You knew #99 was gonna be the torchman.
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