Official 2006 Torino Winter Olympics torch that was presented to Canadian Olympic administrator James Worrall. Constructed of blue techno-polymer-coated aluminum, the torch measures 31.25″ in length and 4.5″ at its widest point. Designed by Pininfarina, the shape of the torch was designed to appear like a ski tip, while also representing the monument and symbol of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana. Additionally, the design was intended to replicate the traditional wooden torch, giving the impression that the metal itself catches fire and burns. The middle portion of the torch bears the recessed emblem of the Torino Games with Olympic rings. Includes the original gray cloth carrying bag. Starting on December 8, 2005, the Olympic torch relay lasted 75 days and traversed over 11,300 km. In all, a total of 10,001 torchbearers carried the flame until it entered the Olympic Stadium on February 10, 2006. This sleek and dynamic Olympic torch was awarded the Lorenzo il Magnifico award, the highest prize from the Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art.
After competing in hurdles for Canada in the Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics, Worrall put forth a lifetime of effort in favor of the Canadian Olympic cause. From 1964 to 1968, Worrall was the president of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and from 1967 to 1989 he was a member of the International Olympic Committee. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the organizing committees for the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics and the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics and was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
