Albertville

The torch, made of stainless steel, was intended to imitate my darting flame shape, but was widely criticized and considered almost a hoax due to its discomfort when carried, even for short distances. After being transported by a Concorde plane from Athens, I traveled throughout France for 57 days, with a particular focus on Savoy, the region where the Games were being held. The preparations were extensive, including the construction of 10 different cauldrons, with the main one resembling a flower's corolla and the others situated at various competition locations. These were the last Winter Olympics to be held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. Freestyle skiing was introduced as an official event, and Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba made legendary performances in alpine skiing.