Rio Olympic torch to begin its journey from Caldes de Montbui

On July 3, Brazil's'pres­i­dent Dilma Rouss­eff pre­sented the Olympic torch for Rio 2016, one of many that will be passed from hand-to-hand over 20,000 kilo­me­tres from Olympia to Rio de Janeiro for the start of the Games.

How­ever, the torch will ac­tu­ally begin its trans-con­ti­nen­tal jour­ney in Caldes de Mont­bui, in Vallès Ori­en­tal. The firm Recam Làser, which spe­cialises in laser cut­ting, is the com­pany that won the com­pe­ti­tion to pro­duce the Olympic torch. The Vallès plant has now begun to man­u­fac­ture some 15,000 units, which will be dis­trib­uted around the world from the be­gin­ning of 2016 for the Olympic torch bear­ers to pass on to each other, until it reaches its final des­ti­na­tion in the Mara­canã sta­dium for the Games' open­ing cer­e­mony. Recam Làser, which has a sub­sidiary in the north of Brazil, has de­vel­oped a torch made of re­cy­cled alu­minium weigh­ing a kilo and a half.

The torch is white in colour with a de­sign of wavy lines rep­re­sent­ing the earth, sea and moun­tains, and a final line that sym­bol­ises the Co­paca­bana seafront prom­e­nade. The torch fea­tures the colours of the Brazil­ian flag, with a flame ris­ing some 70 cen­time­tres. The Rio Games will take place from Au­gust 5-21 next year.