Olympic Torch Relay a small torch, lit from the previous host country’s Olympic Flame, is relayed, hand to hand, by torchbearers across the world to the new host nation.

We’ve been involved with the Olympic Torch Relay since the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, helping to build the excitement across the globe before the biggest celebration of international sport, and connecting people with the wonder and magic of the Olympic spirit.

Our first sponsorship of the Relay
The Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games marked the debut of the International Olympic Torchbearers Programme, sponsored by Coca-Cola. For the first time, people from other nations were invited to carry the Olympic Flame in the host country.

Lighting the way in winter
After the success of the Relay in Barcelona 1992, we invited participants from 13 countries to carry the Flame across 4,971 miles to the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympic Games.

The longest Relay in history
We went big when the Olympic Games visited Coca-Cola’s hometown of Atlanta in 1996, presenting the longest Relay, at that time, in the history of the Olympic Games: a staggering 15,000 miles.


Island hopping
During the Nagano 1998 Olympic Torch Relay in Japan, we sponsored the Olympic Torch Relay, which took three different routes to share the experience between the host nation's various islands.

Our tenth anniversary
Coca-Cola marked a decade of involvement with the Olympic Torch Relay at Salt Lake 2002, by selecting more than 3,500 of the total 11,500 torchbearers for the 65-day spectacle that blazed through 46 American states.

The most far-reaching Relay ever
For the first truly worldwide Relay at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, the Olympic Flame travelled internationally to more than 30 cities on the five continents represented by the Olympic Rings. The Flame then returned to Greece, birthplace of the Olympic Games.

Promoting active, healthy lifestyles
For the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games, Coca‑Cola Italy promoted an anti-obesity project in schools to raise awareness of the importance of healthy eating and exercise, selecting 412 teachers, students and parents around the country as torchbearers.


The highest points on earth
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay spanned more than four months and touched five continents. The Olympic Flame was even carried up and over Mount Everest in the Himalayas – one of the highest points on earth.

One million torchbearers
More than one million Canadians applied to be torchbearers at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games; of those, over 4,500 were nominated for making commitments to lead more active or green lifestyles.

Best and brightest
For London 2012, we chose 1,300 Future Flames exceptional young Brits who were chosen to carry the Olympic Torch in recognition of their positive contributions in their local communities.

Take a look behind the scenes of the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay.