Olympic torch in Paris: Innovation meets history with electric flame
The Olympic torch was lit in Paris. For the first time in history, the ceremony was organized outside a stadium. Also, for the first time, the Olympic symbol was a balloon floating over the city. The French referenced a groundbreaking moment in the history of aviation. Their torch is also pioneering—it "burns" without fire.
The Olympic torch is burning in Jardin des Tuileries, where the first experimental balloon flights occurred. The French became aviation pioneers long before the historic flight of the Wright brothers, which did not take place until December 17, 1903.
On June 5, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers - Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne, launched a balloon filled with hot air, also called the montgolfière. The balloon had a diameter of about 12 metres. However, it was an unmanned flight. On September 19 of the same year, the Montgolfier brothers conducted the first manned flight, although the crew was unusual - it consisted of a sheep, a duck, and a rooster. The balloon rose to an altitude of 1,600 to 3,000 metres and, in 10 minutes, covered about 1.9 kilometres.
First balloon flights
Animals were the first to be sent up because, in the 18th century, it was feared that humans might not survive at such heights. The sheep, duck, and rooster safely returned to the ground. Humans flew in a balloon for the first time on November 21, 1783. The crew, consisting of Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes, travelled a distance of 9 kilometres at an altitude of 1,000 metres in about 25 minutes.
Between those flights, also in Paris, on August 27, 1783, Prof. Charles Jacques Alexandre César demonstrated another balloon—with a diameter of about 4 metres, a coating of rubberized fabric, and a filling not with hot air but with lighter-than-air hydrogen.
Balloons filled with hot air still play a role today. They are most commonly associated with sightseeing flights or sports competitions, but they are also used for meteorological measurements and reconnaissance observations. They also paved the way for airships. In the second decade of the 20th century, balloon units were formed in Polish territories - first in Poznań - which took part in, among others, the Polish-Russian War of 1920. In the 1920s, balloon battalions were also formed in Jabłonna, Kraków, and Toruń.
The Olympic torch in Paris. What do we know about it?
The unusual Olympic torch in Paris caused consternation. There were even questions about whether it would float over Paris the entire time until the sports competitions ended. It turns out that was not the organizers' intention.
The "actual" part of the Olympic torch is a cauldron with a ring of fire 7 metres in diameter, suspended under the balloon. The entire structure is 30 metres tall. Each day of the Olympics, after sunset, it will rise to a height of 60 metres and hover above Paris, all while being tethered to the ground.
Neither the balloon is a traditional "bag" filled with hot air, nor is the Olympic flame traditional. The flame of the Olympic torch in Paris is 100% electric. The ring creates a cloud of water aerosol, illuminated to a "fiery" colour by 40 LED spotlights. This innovation is backed by the French energy giant EDF.
The unusual construction will be available for close viewing during the Olympics until August 10. After prior registration on the Paris 2024 website, the public is offered 15-minute slots. The "pass" to the heart of the Tuileries Gardens will be a QR code received after registration.
