London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay

The Associated Press gave a little love to the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay with an international wire story updating readers on plans for next year's run.

The Olympic flame will trek about 8,000 miles but almost entirely on British soil during 70 days next summer, according to the article.

Additional details are available at the official site for the Olympic Torch Relay. Of course, part of the Torch tradition will also take place in Olympia, Greece.

The destination list for the flame looks good to me. It would really be something to see the flame at Stonehenge, for instance.

I did not yet look closely at the route yet, but in case they did not think of it already, consider this my Olympic blogger suggestion that the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Team at LOCOG, as well as Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung, recreate the "Chariots of Fire" opening sequence by carrying the Olympic torch down the beach made famous by the film's director, Hugh Hudson, and Vangelis (in case you missed it, Hudson answered questions about that famous scene during a film festival in Atlanta, and his comments are available via this post).

Photo via LOCOG

London 2012 Organizers Unveil "Goldfinger" Olympic Torch

If James Bond's nemesis Auric Goldfinger survived being sucked out of his personal aircraft, he'd be smiling at the new Olympic torch unveiled last week by LOCOG.

The gold-toned metal torch is already getting nicknames, and I'm here to add an Ian Fleming/007 connection (in case 1948 Olympic silver medalist Harold Sakata, a.k.a. "Oddjob," did not already connect London's Olympic heritage to the British secret agent).

London's celebration next year will include the three-sided -- you read it here first, I think -- "Goldfinger" Olympic torch to be carried across Greece and the U.K. starting May 19, 2012.

With details from the organizing committee press release, here's a bit more about the LOCOG Olympic torch by the numbers:

-- The design measures 800 cm long, weighs 800g and includes 8,000 perforations or rings symbolic of the 8K torchbearers who will use the torches to pass the flame

-- Approximately 110 runners per day will participate in the 70-day 2012 Olympic torch relay, maintaining the Olympic tradition and long-distance publicity event started in 1936

-- The three-sided design is symbolic of several Olympic triumvirates: "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger, the Olympic motto), the three London Olympiads (1908, 1948, 2012) and Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship. Though not spelled out in the LOCOG press release, the three-sides could also represent the three presenting sponsors of the 2012 Olympic torch relay: Coca-Cola, Samsung and Lloyds TSB.

-- The torch is made of an aluminum alloy (and Al is No. 13 on the periodic chart).

-- Sean Connery's age during the relay: 81 (please, oh, please, he'll carry the torch somewhere).

From my view, the London Olympic torch is a winner, and from a coolness factor, is closest in design to the 2006 Torino Olympic torch.

What do you think of the 2012 Olympic torch design?

Photos via LOCOG/Getty Images