Description
Official 2006 Torino Winter Olympics torch constructed of blue techno-polymer-coated aluminum, the torch measures 31.25″ in length and 4.5″ at its widest point. Designed by Pininfarina, the Italian car design firm. The torch is shaped to appear like a ski tip, while also representing the Mole Antonelliana, the monument and symbol of Turin. Additionally, Pininfarina also designed the torch to replicate the traditional wooden torch, giving the impression that the metal itself catches fire and burns. The middle portion of the torch bears the recessed emblem of the Torino Games with Olympic rings. Starting on December 8, 2005, the Olympic torch relay lasted 75 days and traversed over 11,300 km. In all, a total of 10,001 torchbearers carried the flame until it entered the Olympic Stadium on February 10, 2006. This sleek and dynamic Olympic torch was awarded the Lorenzo il Magnifico award, the highest prize from the Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art.
