The torch, which stands 800 millimetre high and weighs 800 grams, represents the best of British design, engineering and manufacturing talent, it is claimed.

It has been designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby working in partnership with Basildon-based product engineers Tecosim and Coventry-based manufacturers The Premier Group.

Together they have developed the prototypes that were on show today and the mass production of the Torches that will start later this year.

"The Torch that carries the Olympic Flame during the Olympic Torch Relay is one of the most recognisable and significant symbols of an Olympic Games," said Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012.

"Members of the public right across the UK are busy nominating inspiring people to be Torchbearers and I am thrilled we have a beautifully designed, engineered and crafted Torch for them to carry.

"Integral to the design are the 8,000 circles, a lasting representation of the Torchbearer stories of personal achievement or contribution to their local community that will be showcased with every step of the Relay."

Up to 90 per cent of the 8,000 Torchbearer places will be made available to the public through a number of channels, including the four public nomination campaigns to be run by London 2012 and the three presenting partners, worldwide Olympic partners Coca-Cola and Samsung and Tier One local sponsor Lloyds TSB. 

Osgerby said he wanted to make the design ''physically light and visually light''.

He claimed the design resembled a piece of sporting equipment.

The triangular form was inspired by the three Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship; the three words that make the Olympic motto - faster, higher, stronger; the fact the UK has hosted the Olympic Games three times - in 1908, 1948 and 2012; the vision for the London 2012 Olympic Games to combine three strands of work - sport, education and culture.

It is made up of four key pieces - an inner and an outer aluminium alloy skin perforated by the 8,000 circles that are held in place by a cast top piece and base.

The circles which run the length of the body of the torch also offer a unique level of transparency - allowing people to see right to the heart of the torch and view the burner system.

The circles also help ensure heat is quickly dissipated without being conducted down the handle and providing extra grip.

The gold colour finish embraces the qualities of the Olympic Flame - the brightness and the warmth of the light that it shines, it is claimed.


The Torch is crafted from an aluminium alloy, developed for the aerospace and automotive industry that is lightweight whilst having good tensile strength and excellent heat resistance, the 8,000 circles also reduce the weight of the final design.

But plans for the Torch to be low-carbon have failed to materialise after an unsuccessful search, carried out by London 2012 and its sustainability partner EDF, for an eco-fuel that could give the flame a greener glow have been scrapped.

"We got within touching distance but for operational reasons we ran out of time," said Coe.

"We worked really hard but we didn't quite get there, despite trying very hard to do it.

"Hopefully it's not work that will be wasted, maybe for Rio [2016]."

But the Torch seemed to be well-received by everyone who saw it.

"This striking British design celebrates the role each of the 8,000 inspirational Torchbearers will play as local heroes in villages, towns and cities across the UK," said Hugh Robertson, the Sport and Olympics Minister.

"The Torch is a focal point for every Olympic Games and London 2012 will be no different with the Torch Relay bringing the UK together as excitement builds ahead of the greatest sporting show on earth."

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May 2011: David Owen - Torch Relay's symbolic message should not be lost among other agendas
May 2011: London 2012 Torchbearers to be nominated by the public
May 2011: Details of London 2012 Torch Relay route announced
February 2011: East London firm chosen to design 2012 Olympic and Paralympic torch