Rare official 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics torch used during the Olympic relay, comprised of aluminum with a maple handle, measuring 23.5″ in length, emblazoned on the handle with pictograms of ten Winter Olympic sports. The top inscribed with raised text in English and French, “XV Olympic Winter Games Calgary Alberta Canada 1988,” with underside of bowl engraved: “COA/A.O.C. 1979-1986”; the ball at the base of the handle is engraved with the Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius.”
Includes an unused four-wick burner canister, the original black carrying bag, and a highly appealing official torchbearer track suit of the Calgary Games by Sun Ice of Canada, which consists of red and white zip-up jacket, size eight, with brightly colored Calgary and torch relay logos to left chest and back area, and a pair of red track pants, size 18, with elastic waistband.
Designed by the National Research Council of Canada, the torch was made to resemble the Calgary Tower, an iconic landmark in the Canadian city. The torch relay, called 'Share the Flame,' was an enormous event, with approximately 6,500 torchbearers drawn from an application pool of over six million. After the lighting ceremony in Olympia, the flame was flown to Newfoundland and then traveled 18,000 km through Canada over 88 days. Unlike many relays, the torches were shared and thus only about one hundred and fifty were manufactured.
