Olympic cauldron to rise into Paris skies each night

PARIS (AP):

THE OLYMPIC cauldron, which made a stunning first flight at the Paris Games opening ceremony, will sit on the ground during the day and rise again every evening.

Paris Olympics organisers said yesterday that the cauldron, attached to a balloon, would fly more than 60 metres (197 feet) above the Tuileries Gardens from sunset until 2 a.m. The launch zone site is near the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre museum.

During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron, which is the first in Olympic history to light up without the use of fossil fuels.

Instead, it uses water and electric light.

Organisers said the electric flame uses 40 LED spotlights “to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles”.

The cauldron is a key showcase of organisers’ ambition for a low-carbon Olympics, cutting emissions in half and “one of the main symbols of the games”, Paris organising chief Tony Estanguet said.

“We wanted the cauldron to use a new technology in order to not produce too many emissions,” Estanguet said yesterday.

“We were ambitious, and we wanted to bring together something spectacular and environmental responsibility at the same time.”

The Summer Games cauldron in the Tuileries will also stay to be used for the Paralympic Games, which Paris will host from August 28 to September 8.