Sebastian Coe with ‘Cheese Grater’ Torch

The
2012 Olympic Torch appears to meld historical symbolism with a handy kitchen
tool – the cheese grater. The single
most striking feature of the torch, the 8000 holes were intricately carved to reflect the number of torch
bearers. According to Sebastian Coe, chairman of the
2012 London Olympics, the holes are “integral
to the design” as they are a “representation of the torchbearer stories of
personal achievement or contribution to their local community.” Yet, critics
are having the time of their lives dubbing the gold-coloured aluminium torch
the ‘huge cheese grater’, shortly after it was unveiled on June 8.

Environmentalists would
also find themselves disappointed with the traditional gas mixture, as opposed
to earlier promises of a carbon-free torch. 

“We were very close,
we just didn’t get there,” Coe explains.

However, the
designers remain optimistic about the aesthetics, claiming that its triangular
shape symbolizes the ‘three times that London has staged the Games in 1908, 1948
and 2012’, as well as the ‘sport, education and culture triple vision of the
2012 Games’. The actual relay will take place May 19 to July 27, beginning at
Land’s End and ending at the Olympic Stadium for the lighting of the cauldron
at the opening ceremony. An average of 110 people will carry the torch per day.

For those already getting into the spirit of the Games, New York Times created an excellent slideshow which chronologizes the evolution of the Torch back in 2008.

 Close-up of Torch

Photos: courtesy of Reuters

via [Reuters]