Atlanta

The torch for the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympics pays tribute to the past, with a design that takes inspiration from ancient torches made of bound reeds and classical Greek architecture. The handle is made of pecan wood from Georgia and the two gold bands feature engravings of the host cities and the 100th edition logo. The torch is made up of 22 reeds, representing the number of modern Olympic Games that had been held up to that point. A special ceremony was held in Athens with representatives from the 17 countries that had hosted the Summer Olympics. Upon arrival in the US, I was carried over 26,000 kilometers by around 12,000 torchbearers, with an emotional Muhammad Ali serving as the final torchbearer. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Games were also marred by a bomb that exploded in a park near the stadium, killing two people and injuring over 110.