Press room

Rio de Janeiro, 11 December 2015– “The Paralympic torch allows me to ‘see’ the shapes of the city. The image of Rio is right here in my hands.” So Marcos Lima, visually impaired and integration specialist at the Rio 2016 Committee, defined the Paralympic torch, launched today at the Kinoplex São Luís cinema, in Rio’s Zona Sul.

The Rio 2016 Paralympic Torch Relay will celebrate creativity, determination and joy. People from around the globe will be invited to send their “personal flames” to create one that will light the cauldron at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, at the Maracanã Stadium, on 7 September. Bradesco, Nissan and Claro are the Rio 2016 Paralympic Torch Relay sponsors.

Formed of winding and continuous curves, the torch represents the highs and lows of the life of a Paralympic athlete, based on determination and triumphs. Its quadrangular texture promotes the four Paralympic values – courage, determination, inspiration and equality – which are also inscribed in braille on the body of the torch.

THE PARALYMPIC TORCH RELAY

The “personal flames”, donated virtually, will feed the flames of the relay route, which will take in five cities from five regions across the country: Belém, Brasília (to be confirmed), Joinville, Natal and São Paulo – cities chosen for their identification and proximity with the Paralympic Movement.

For five days from 1 September, “regional flames” will be lit (physical flames), carried by bearers to iconic locations; an invitation to the people to take to the streets to celebrate the journey of the Paralympic flame through each city. The lighting of a mini-Paralympic cauldron will end the day. At the end of each celebration, the regional flame will be sent virtually to Rio de Janeiro.

In Rio, the regional flames will be gathered and, together with the flame received virtually from the English city of Stoke Mandeville – birthplace of the Paralympic Movement – will form the Paralympic flame.

Next, for two days the carioca stage of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Torch Relay will be held. At the end of the relay’s second day, the final torch bearer will enter the Maracanã Stadium to light the cauldron of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Paralympic Torch Relay in numbers:

·         Approximately 700 torch bearers

·         Seven days (one in each region + two in the city of Rio de Janeiro)

·         One city per region + Rio de Janeiro

·         200 metres per bearer

·         Six to eight hours per day

·         Six celebrations: one per representative city of each region + Rio de Janeiro

·         Convoy of approximately five vehicles

·         Flame will be present at points of interest in each city

PARALYMPIC TORCH DESIGN

The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic torches were born together, the fruits of the unique contextual platform of Passion and Transformation, the essence of the Rio 2016 brands. The decision to depart from a single creative concept reflects the sense of equality and relevance of the two torches. When closed, both torches are alike. When open, the Olympic and Paralympic souls, and all their particularities, are revealed.

The moment of the “kiss”, when the Paralympic flame is passed from one bearer to another, is also the moment in which the segments that make up the Paralympic torch open and reach upwards. At this time, the representative colours of the visual look of the Paralympic Games are revealed, in a display of contagious energy, desire and determination, the hunger for a challenge and the excitement of success.

The design that gave rise to the two torches was the result of a national selection process, which included 76 designers, culminating in a meeting of a multi-disciplinary judging commission, formed of 11 members recognised for their experience in the creation of products or their prominence in the Olympic and Paralympic Movements. The commission unanimously elected the Chelles & Hayashi design agency from São Paulo, founded 21 years ago by Gustavo Chelles and Romy Hayashi. Having been selected, the winning project was refined with Rio 2016.

SPONSORS

Bradesco, Nissan and Claro are Rio 2016 Paralympic Torch Relay sponsors. “Supporting the Paralympic Torch Relay further underlines our sponsorship of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the support of the two relays (Olympic and Paralympic) we will take the competition atmosphere to all Brazilians, in all corners of the country,” said Jorge Nasser, Bradesco marketing director.

François Dossa, president of Nissan Brasil, confirmed that sponsorship of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays “believes in the power of social transformation through the Paralympic Movement. The Torch Relay will be unique in the mobilisation of people in all regions of the country. With the support of fans, we are even more confident in the success of Team Brazil athletes, which we also sponsor and includes eight members from Team Nissan.”

“For Claro, the values represented by the Paralympic torch, such as creativity, determination and joy are pillars that also guide the work developed by the operator through communication of products and services offered to our millions of customers across Brazil,” said Rodrigo Vidigal, Claro marketing director.

BEARER CAMPAIGN

Rio 2016, Bradesco, Nissan and Claro will announce the honoured bearers of the Paralympic torch. There will be 700 bearers, divided across five regions of Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro.

About Rio 2016

Rio 2016 is a private, not-for-profit sports association formed by the Brazilian Olympic Federations, Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) and Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB). It is responsible for the planning, promotion and staging of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was assigned this mission by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and must follow their guidance, the Host City Contract, the Olympic Charter, the IPC Handbook, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations and Brazilian law.