In Paris, they’re asking: is the Olympic balloon our new Eiffel Tower?
In a sometimes controversial opening ceremony, the floating cauldron captured everyone’s imagination. Now France is contemplating making it a permanent fixture.
The Olympic cauldron and its balloon, suspended above the Paris sky. AP
Some elements of the exuberant Olympic Games opening ceremony – the drag-queen Last Supper, if that’s what it was, and the Dionysian Papa Smurf – have caused bemusement, ridicule and even outrage. But one thing united the world in awe: the Olympic cauldron.
As the last two torch runners brought the flame into the Tuileries Gardens, by the Louvre, viewers were surprised to see a ring of fire, seven metres in diameter, set under a giant air balloon.
Hans van LeeuwenEurope correspondentHans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London. Connect with Hans on Twitter. Email Hans at hans.vanleeuwen@afr.com
