Innsbruck

The torch used in the Austrian Winter Olympic Games was crafted from brass and had a handle that tapered to a point. For the first time at the Winter Olympic Games, I was lit in Olympia; and special lamps were used to transport me for 22 hours straight from Greece to Austria. I always gave the organizers a good headache, but, probably, my burning problems were nothing compared to the weather situation: the lack of snow jeopardized the edition. To combat this issue, 60,000 blocks of ice were extracted from the mountains and transported to the valley for downhill skiing, bobsledding, and sledding. The opening ceremony took place in the large ski-jumping stadium: watch the video where the final torchbearer had to climb some very steep stairs to get me to the cauldron! One of the most memorable moments of the event was when Eugenio Monti, a bobsledder, selflessly gave a bolt to the British duo Nash-Dixon, who went on to win the gold medal. Monti's act of sportsmanship was recognized with the prestigious Pierre de Coubertin medal.