The Torch for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was unveiled in Milan Thursday.
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the concept behind the design is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional torch made of wood; the flame envelopes the body of the torch instead of coming out of a hole on top as has been in the past.
The torch is 770 mm high, has a diameter of 105 mm and weighs 1.850 kg. It cannot be relit and must not been extinguished, even in bad weather such as rain, snow and wind.
The flame of each torch, which burns for 15 minutes, must not be higher than 10 centimetres.
The outside shell is made of aluminium and the inside fittings are of steel, copper and techno-polymers. A special paint resistant to high temperatures has been used for the finish of the surface.
The Olympic Flame relay, which is to travel all over Italy, will begin in Rome on December 8, 2005 and will be carried by torchbearers for 10,000 kilometres, ending in Turin on February 10 for the opening of the 2006 Games.
The first torchbearer is Stefano Baldini, marathon gold medallist at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
