The seven years of planning and preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics almost went down the drain during the opening ceremony because of what is now known as the Olympic Torch Malfunction.
Here is part of a news article about the malfunction from ctvolympics.ca:
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Here is part of a news article about the malfunction from ctvolympics.ca:
An equipment mishap just as the Olympic cauldron was about to be lit just shows that we're all human, according to the artistic producer of the 2010 Winter Games gala opening ceremonies.
"The fact that the whole ceremonies were based on human experience was probably a portent of what happened," said David Atkins, hired several years ago to parlay millions of dollars into a show that would amaze the world.
At the end of what had been a clock-work like, spectacular production, only three of the four sections surrounding the Olympic cauldron emerged from below the stadium.
The failure left Catriona LeMay Dona, one of four final torchbearers, left standing with a torch and nothing to light.
Mr. Atkins blamed the malfunction on a mechanical failure.
"It's a very complex piece of equipment, and unfortunately, the trap had some problem," he said. "We're living in a real world, and putting on an event produced live before three billion people. Everything is 100 per cent real."
