[Olympics] USA Today "Beijing Olympic Flame Seems Extinguished Due to Heavy Snow"

The Spark Rekindled: "If It Goes Out, We Must Bring It Back from Greece"

News has emerged that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics torch was extinguished due to heavy snowfall. On the 13th, USA Today Sports published a photo showing the torch with no visible flame. The Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee emphasized low carbon emissions during the opening ceremony and designed the torch and torch relay at the entrance of the Beijing National Stadium to be the smallest and simplest ever. USA Today Sports reported that the flame was extinguished by the heavy snowfall that day and requested confirmation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC inquired about the matter with the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee but received no response.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The flame is currently burning again. If it were to be extinguished, the flame would need to be reignited using the fire lit by sunlight at the Hera Temple in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics. USA Today Sports explained, "The flame lit in Greece must go through the torch relay," adding, "This process takes several months." However, it is reported that the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee prepared a backup flame lit in Greece in case of such an incident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.