The Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch Relay sparkled its way in to the history books today as the Olympic flame burned underwater for the very first time.
Dressed in a silver wet suit, Port Douglas marine biologist Wendy Craig Duncan made her way on to the diving pontoon at the Great Barrier Reef and slipped into the water for a final check of her breathing apparatus just after 1:00pm this afternoon.
The specially designed torch was handed to Wendy in the water. Fully masked, she held the lit torch high above her head to a huge roar from the spectators, which included media from all over the world. As the crowd took a deep breath, she slowly descended into the ocean leaving a plume of smoke on the water’s surface and creating a moment in history.
The torch glowed brightly underwater for two minutes 40 seconds before Wendy broke the surface once again to another huge cheer from the crowd.
With a smile from ear to ear, Wendy told spectators that today was a once in a lifetime day.
‘I have been so nervous I’ve hardly been able to eat or sleep but it went off superbly,’ she said.
Wendy added that the underwater flame is also the world’s first environmentally friendly underwater flare.
‘A lot of work has gone into ensuring the flare is environmentally friendly. This is such a magnificent reef.. Everyday we like to see visitors depart as new environmental ambassadors for the protection of the reef and I see today as a unique opportunity to promote awareness that we could not achieve ourselves.’
To enable the flare to burn underwater for several minutes the flare composition is loaded at high pressure into a steel tube. The chemical formulation produces sufficient gasing agents, including oxygen and nitrogen, to maintain a very hot flame which burns so fiercely that it prevents water at the pressure depth of three metres from entering the tube and extinguishing the flame.
According to one spectator watching from the underwater viewing platform it was an amazing sight to see Wendy swim with the lit torch through the schools of colourful Reef fish.
‘The setting could not have been more perfect, shafts of sun broke through the water’s surface picking out the colours of the tropical fish as they swam around Wendy who carried the Sydney 2000 torch ahead of her – the flame a bright yellow/orange orb of light. She looked radiant. It was magical.’
Stretching through the sapphire blue waters of Queensland for over 2000 kilometres, the Great Barrier Reef is the most extensive reef system in the world. It is also recognised as the largest World Heritage area, the largest coral structure in the world and is reported to be the only natural structure visible from outer space.
‘Like Uluru, where the Sydney 2000 Torch Relay began its journey in Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is an extraordinary piece of nature and we are proud to be showcasing it to the world as we write a new chapter in torch relay history by taking the Olympic flame underwater at Agincourt Reef,’ said Torch Relay General Manager, Di Henry.
The torch’s historic journey underwater reflects the spirit of the Sydney 2000 Torch Relay which aims to take the Olympic flame to as many communities as possible – ranging from Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef to snowfields in the Alps of New South Wales and Victoria, desert plains in Central Australia, beaches in Western Australia and tropical rainforests in Queensland – in the largest and longest Torch Relay in the history of the Olympic Games.
The flame travelled to Agincourt Reef onboard Quicksilver 8 in a temporary cauldron which was lit by boat designer and torchbearer, Donald Fry. The flame burned brightly in the cauldron during the one hour trip to the Reef.
Source: SOCOG Olympics.com