 The public cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza in 2022. | |
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| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
|---|---|
| Type | Cauldron |
The 2010 Winter Olympics cauldron was erected for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A version of the cauldron was used as part of the opening ceremony at BC Place, while a permanent, public cauldron was constructed in Jack Poole Plaza, in compliance with protocol stating that the lighting of the Olympic flame should be visible outdoors to the public.
The cauldron was designed by Canadian aerospace manufacturer Bombardier, alongside the torches used for the torch relay; it consists of four, crystal-like "arms" and a central burner. [1] During the opening ceremony at BC Place, the four arms were to emerge from doors in the stadium floor, with each arm jointly lit by the final four torchbearers: Catriona Le May Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, and Wayne Gretzky. However, a technical glitch with the system controlling the doors caused only three of the arms to rise—inadvertently leaving out Le May Doan. [2] The glitch was referenced and rectified during the prologue to the closing ceremony, where a mime "repaired" the cauldron, allowing Le May Doan to finally light it. [3] [4]
The protocol specified by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) states that the lighting of the Olympic flame must be witnessed by those in attendance of the opening ceremony, and should be visible outside to the residents of the host city. The latter was not possible because this was the first Olympic opening ceremony to take place in an indoor stadium. [5] [6] Prior to the ceremony, the manufacturing firm Axton, Inc. was contracted by VANOC to construct a permanent replica of the cauldron in Jack Poole Plaza on the mezzanine of the Vancouver Convention Centre; it was constructed from steel, polycarbonate, and glass, with each of its arms being 16 metres (54 feet) long, and the entire cauldron standing 9.4 metres (31 feet) tall. Its burners were manufactured by FCT Flames, which had provided the burners for past Olympic cauldrons. [7] [8]
The public cauldron was manufactured under a 14-week deadline, and assembled under a scaffolding concealed by tarps during the lead-up to the opening ceremony. [7] [8] Following the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Gretzky was transported by truck to Jack Poole Plaza to light the public cauldron. [9] [7]
Controversially, public access to the cauldron was restricted during the Games, with the plaza being protected by fencing that also obstructed photos. The fences were later moved closer to the cauldron, and modified to include viewing windows. [7] [10]
Following the 2010 Winter Paralympics, the cauldron's base was renovated to enhance its appearance and help deter vandalism, adding a reflecting pool with water fountains, along with additional security systems. [7] [8]
The glass exterior of one of the arms was vandalized in 2022, requiring $50,000 in repairs. [11]
The cauldron's flames are re-lit for special occasions, including Canada Day, Remembrance Day, and subsequent Olympic Games. [7] [8]
Fearing a repeat of the issues that manifested in the 2010 opening ceremony, Danny Boyle—director of the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony—told designer Thomas Heatherwick in a brief on his task to design the Games' cauldron, "whatever you do, no moving parts." Ultimately, the cauldron would be a very intricate design with a large number of moving parts, including individual stems and flames representing each participating country. Of the design, Heatherwick said that “when we proposed the most moving parts ever in an Olympic cauldron, we were nervous and feeling a bit guilty about that. But the same man who’d said that to us was the first person to say yes.” [12] [13] A part of the cauldron malfunctioned during the final rehearsal—a development that the team deliberately withheld from Heatherwick. [14]
The notion of a second "public" cauldron outside of the ceremonies venue has been revisited by subsequent Olympiads:
The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay, which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Through 2022, the flame would continue to burn in the cauldron for the duration of the Games, until it was extinguished during the Olympic closing ceremony. In 2024, electric lighting and mist were used to create a simulated flame for the Olympic cauldron, with the actual flame kept in a lantern exhibited at an adjacent location. That lantern was then taken by French swimmer Léon Marchand from Jardins des Tuileries and ceremonially "transferred" to the Stade de France at the start of the Closing Ceremony: there it was finally extinguished just after the IOC president declared officially closed the Games.
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The 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay was a 106-day run, from October 30, 2009, until February 12, 2010, prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Plans for the relay were originally announced November 21, 2008, by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). Communities were initially informed in June 2008, but the locations were not announced for "security reasons". Exact routes were later announced several weeks before the start of the torch relay.
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The opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held on February 12, 2010, beginning at 6:00 pm PST at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors. It was directed by David Atkins.
John Wilson "Jack" Poole, was a Canadian businessman who, as the head of the VANOC bid committee, was responsible for bringing the 2010 Winter Olympics to Canada.
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The 2000 Summer Olympics torch relay was the transferral of the Olympic Flame to Sydney, Australia, that built up to the 2000 Summer Olympics. The torch tavelled to various island nations as part of a tour of Oceania before beginning an extensive journey around Australia. For the first time the Flame was taken underwater, with a special flare-like torch taken on a dive down to the Great Barrier Reef. At the opening ceremony the cauldron was lit by Aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman.
The 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics cauldron was used for the Olympic flame during the Summer Olympics and Paralympics of London 2012. The cauldron was designed by Thomas Heatherwick and described as "one of the best-kept secrets of the opening ceremony": until it was lit during the Olympics ceremony, neither its design and location, nor who would light it, had been revealed. For the Olympics it consisted of 204 individual 'petals', and for the Paralympics 164, one for each competing nation.
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Media related to 2010 Winter Olympics cauldron at Wikimedia Commons