From the collection of longtime IOC member James Worrall—an 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; tape to lower portion of handle marked "157." 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."
The torch is completed by the inclusion of its original black carrying bag and its rare original torch relay duffel bag with official torchbearer apparel, which includes: a torchbearer relay suit of the Calgary Games by Sun Ice of Canada, which consists of a zip-up jacket, size XXL, and matching track pants, size 44; a Calgary torch relay name tag pin for “Jim Worrall”; a white fabric Calgary torch relay cap; and a Team Canada zip-up collared sweatshirt, XXXL, with matching pants, XXL, both made by Adidas. Red coloring from the clothing has leached out and dyed sections of the cap and sweatshirt. The duffel bag contains two Calgary Torch Relay tags identifying the owner as “Jim Worrall.”
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.
