In the spring of 2028, the LA28 Olympic Torch Relay will make history, travelling through every state in the US on its way to Los Angeles.
The flame’s adventure will begin with its official US welcome in Atlanta, a nod to where it ended its last U.S. Summer Olympics journey at the Atlanta 1996 Games.
After the LA28 Olympic Torch Relay, the Paralympic flame will take center stage, embarking on its first Relay to Los Angeles. From iconic landmarks to hometown streets, together the torch will be carried to Los Angeles.
The Torch Relay is one of the most iconic parts of every Olympic and Paralympic Games and happens long before the athletes begin competing.
The journey to the Olympics and Paralympics starts with separate ceremonial lightings of the flames, followed by Relays throughout the host country, ending in the arrival of the flames in the host city. Each Relay culminates in cauldron lighting at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the official start of competition for the respective Games.
For the LA28 Games, the path to Los Angeles will be like none before. The Olympic flame will embark on a historic 50-state journey—the first to ever do so—beginning in Atlanta, where the last U.S. Summer Games were hosted in 1996.
The Paralympic Torch Relay—the third in U.S. history—will take center stage following the finish of the Olympic Games in August 2028, with the flame embarking on its own journey to Los Angeles for the beginning of the LA28 Paralympic Games.
To get ready for the epic LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays, here’s a primer on all things Relays.
Need-to-know terminology
Torch Relay
A ceremonial journey in which the Olympic and Paralympic flames travel through the host country in the lead-up to the Games.
Olympic flame
The Olympic flame is lit in Olympia, Greece, before the start of each Olympic Games, using the sun’s rays and a parabolic mirror. The flame announces the Olympic Games and spreads a message of peace and friendship.
Paralympic flame
The Paralympic flame is lit in Stoke Mandeville, England, which is recognized as the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. The Paralympic flame symbolizes the spirit of Paralympic athletes, and the energy, courage and ability that every Paralympian possesses.
The Torch
The respective torches—each bearing a unique design specific to that year’s Games—carry the Olympic or Paralympic flames and are what torchbearers use to transport the flame along the Relay route. The flames travel overseas in a lantern via a plane from Greece or England and pass from torchbearer to torchbearer via the torch.
Torchbearer(s)
Someone who carries—on foot, bicycle, train and more—the Olympic or Paralympic flame. Torchbearers embody the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They are chosen to represent the communities that the flames pass through, and can include celebrities, athletes, and local members of those places.
Torch Kiss
The moment when the flame is passed from one torchbearer to the next by touching two torches together.
ORIGINS OF THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC FLAMES
Origins of the Olympic and Paralympic flames
The Olympic flame dates to Ancient Greece, where a perpetual flame burned at the sanctuary of Olympia, lit using the sun’s rays and a parabolic mirror.
The flame is lit at Olympia under the authority of the IOC, then carried by Relay to a venue in the Host City, where it burns for the duration of the Games.
The Paralympic flame is lit in Stoke Mandeville, which holds a special place in the Paralympic Movement as it was home to the first Para sports competition for athletes in wheelchairs held in 1948 and is considered the spiritual home of the Paralympic Games.
Man with a prosthetic leg running in a white long-sleeve shirt and white shorts while carrying the Paralympic flame with a cityscape in the background
History of the Torch Relays
Inspired by ancient Greek torch races, the Olympic Torch Relay is a staple of the lead-in to the Games. Since the 1930s, the torch carrying the flame bears a unique design that represents the host country and the spirit of the Games.
While the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, it wasn’t until the Seoul Games in 1988 that the Paralympic Torch Relay tradition began. The Paralympic Torch Relay travels on a different route than the Olympic flame’s path.
Previous Torch Relays held in the US
The LA28 Torch Relays will be the sixth held before an Olympic Games in the States and mark the third before a U.S. Paralympic Games. The previous U.S. Torch Relays were part of the following Olympic and Paralympic Games:
Squaw Valley 1960 Winter Olympic Games
Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympic Games
Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympic Games
Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympic & Paralympic Games
Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games
What’s next?
There is plenty more to come on the Relays, including the official route and the process to become a torchbearer. Sign up for the LA28 newsletter below to receive updates straight to your inbox and follow @LA28TorchRelays on Instagram.
