Olympic Torch Malfunction Latest Olympic Stumble

An Olympic torch malfunction was the last thing anyone needed. However, the Olympic torch malfunction last night was the one and only big error of the opening ceremony. Of course, when something goes wrong on the biggest part of the opening ceremony, it overshadows everything that went right. The torch was still lit anyway - although it had to be lit again at a second location. But the Olympic torch malfunction, in which only three of four pillars came up, was another early setback for the Vancouver 2010 Games.

The Winter Olympics 2010 lit its torch a bit differently than previous games. Instead of having one torchbearer light the way, four of them would light separate bases that would come out of the stage, to form one big cauldron. However, only three bases wound up getting lit last night.

Things started smoothly, with four of Canada's greatest athletes as the final torch bearers. Skier and current Senator Nancy Greene, speed skater Catriona LeMay Doan, and NBA MVP Steve Nash were the first three - and as everyone expected, Wayne Gretzky was the last star. They each stood at a corner, waiting for the bases to emerge - but only three of them did.

The Olympic torch malfunction caused a delay for a few minutes, while mechanics tried to get the fourth pillar up, which Doan would have lit. Since they couldn't do it, they had to get the other three bases and the Olympic cauldron out there, and improvise the lighting. Eventually they were able to do it, leaving the malfunction as a brief setback - albeit the worst one they could have.

At the least, the whole ordeal didn't set back the real torch lightning. The climax of last night's opening ceremony lit a small cauldron, but it wasn't the real one that would be visible to all. Afterwards, Gretzky lit the permanent cauldron with no setbacks.

Still, the Vancouver 2010 Games didn't need one more setback at this early stage. The Olympic torch malfunction came at the end of a hard day, in which Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died. Before any medals have been given out, these Olympic Games have been defined by death, a lack of snow, and now a malfunction on the most important part of the opening ceremony.

Fortunately, there were no problems in the first 4 ½ hours of the ceremony, which had to be a bit more subdued after Kumaritashvili's death. But Vancouver, and Canada in general, showed off the expected visual prowess and big singing performances.

The Olympic torch malfunction was just a trip up at the finish line, although officials really need this to be the final mistake for the next two weeks.

Sources

Reuters Canada- "Glitch mars lighting of indoor Olympic flame"

The News Tribune- "Olympic cauldron malfunctions"