More Than an Old Flame: National Symbolism and the Media in the Torch Ceremony of the Olympics

Abstract

This article explores the symbolism of the ceremonial torch relay and ceremony in the Olympics, and offers an analysis of its conduct in the Sydney Olympics, and its reporting in the media. The torch ceremony provides a striking example of what has been called ‘the invention of tradition’, which has undergone much adaptation from one Olympiad to another, in line with the cultural and sometimes political expression of the national identity of the host city. This article considers the symbols and values of national belonging built into the planning of the torch ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and by closely following the media coverage it was given, principally in the national press, shows how news stories were generated in the tension between these symbols and values, and the social issues of the day.