Customer:
Coca-Cola/ATHOC, Athens
Description: The key event in the build up to the Olympic Games and many other major world games is the Torch Relay. FCT was awarded the contract to engineer and manufacture 15,000 Olympic torches for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Torch Relay. This torch relay was the first ever truly global torch relay, which visited every city that had previously hosted an Olympic Games as well as many other significant cities around the world.
FCT worked with our partners to manufacture a torch that was true to ATHOC’s artistic design. The shape and design of the Athens torch, while elegant and graceful, presented considerable challenges. The shape of the torch and the materials used made manufacture in large numbers relatively complex. FCT’s R&D expertise and patented burner technology, together with our unique experience and the knowledge gained on the Sydney 2000 Torch Relay, was invaluable in the production of an Athens Relay Torch that functioned perfectly with minimal adjustment to the original artistic design. The final torch, including fuel canister, weighed only 700 grams.
The fuel mixture for the Athens torch was developed to produce good flame visibility, especially for television cameras, the most important criteria for a relay torch. The design also addressed our customer’s critical environmental guidelines.
FCT assisted in training torch relay personnel prior to the Torch Relay and delivered technical support around the world and in Greece during the relay.