Olympic Torches To Be Made In Coventry
One Coventry company has gained national recognition after being chosen to make the 8,000 Olympic torches.
Premier Sheet Metal will be making the golden torches out of aluminium alloy, which is normally used for aeroplanes and cars. The lightweight torches have been designed to include 8,000 laser cut holes to allow the flame to show through.
Coventry City Council is delighted at the news. Deputy Council Leader George Duggins said: “This is great news for the city. The Olympic football tournament is coming to Coventry, the torch is coming to the city and we have a 2012 live site – and now this news that the torch is being made here.
“The torch relay is going to be fantastic – it sums up the spirit of the games and the spirit of Coventry and I hope everyone feels as proud as I do that it is being made here. A part of our city will be taken to all four corners of the UK – highlighting skilled engineering work, which we are renowned for.
“We are well and truly an integral part of the 2012 Games and that involvement will only grow as next July gets nearer.
“We have a whole host of community activities and initiatives which are on-going and these will also build up in the approach to the Games.”
East London designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby created the design for the torch. It resembles a three-sided cone and is 80cm long.
There will be a burner, fuelled by a propane-butane gas canister, inside each torch. They will burn long enough for the torchbearer to run their section of the route, which is usually about 300 metres, before passing the flame to the next bearer’s torch.