The 2016 Summer Olympics torch relay which ran from 21 April until 5 August 2016. After being lit in

Olympia, Greece Olympia ( ; ), officially Archaia Olympia ( ), is a small town in Elis (regional unit), Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name. The site was a major Panhellenic sanctuary, Panhell ...

, the torch traveled to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

on the 27 April. The Brazilian leg began in the capital,

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

, and ended in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

Maracanã Stadium Maracanã Stadium (, ; named after the Maracanã River), officially known as Jornalista Mário Filho Stadium (, ; , named after Mário Filho), is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Located in the Maracanã neighbor ...

, the main venue of the 2016 Olympics. After having visited more than 300 Brazilian cities, including all 26 state capitals and the

Federal District A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or the ...

. The end of the relay was the closing to the

2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday 5 August 2016 in the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, starting at 20:00 BRT (23:00 UTC). As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the fo ...

Route in Greece

Route in Switzerland

Route in Brazil

Revezamento da Tocha Olímpica em Brasília 09.jpg, Torch relay in

, with the marathoner

Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima (born 4 July 1969) is a Brazilian retired long-distance runner. He was born in Cruzeiro do Oeste, Paraná. While leading the marathon after at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he was attacked on the course by Irish forme ...

(3 May). Revezamento da Tocha Olímpica em Corumbá de Goiás 11.jpg, Torch relay in

Corumbá de Goiás Corumbá de Goiás is a municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil. It is one of the oldest cities in the state and still preserves vestiges of its colonial heritage. The Areias River passes through the municipality. Location and Geography Loc ...

(4 May). Pirenópolis recebe Tocha Olímpica 01.jpg, Torch relay in

Pirenópolis Pirenópolis, also known as Piri, is a historic municipality located in the Brazilian state of Goiás. It is known for its waterfalls and Portuguese colonial architecture, and a popular festival involving mounted horses called Festa do Divino ...

, Goiás (4 May). Dom Lélis Lara com a tocha olímpica na Praça da Estação, Coronel Fabriciano MG.JPG, Torch relay in

Coronel Fabriciano Coronel Fabriciano is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil. It is located in the region of Vale do Rio Doce and is situated 200 km from the state capital. The municipal population was estimated in 202 ...

, Minas Gerais, with Don

Lélis Lara Lélis Lara (December 19, 1925 – December 8, 2016) was a Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to ...

(12 May). 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony 1035326-olimpiadas abertura-4006.jpg, The last stop of the torch relay,

(5 August).

End of Torch Relay

At the

Gustavo Kuerten Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten (; born 10 September 1976) is a Brazilian former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the list of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals f ...

brought the

Olympic torch The Olympic flame is a Olympic symbols, symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony s ...

into the stadium, relayed off the

Olympic flame The Olympic flame is a Olympic symbols, symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony s ...

Hortência Marcari Hortência Maria de Fátima Marcari (born September 23, 1959) is a former basketball player who is often considered to be one of the greatest female basketball players in Brazil, along with Maria Paula Silva, Paula. Marcari is a member of the Wome ...

, who relayed to

Vanderlei de Lima Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima (born 4 July 1969) is a Brazilian retired long-distance runner. He was born in Cruzeiro do Oeste, Paraná. While leading the marathon after at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he was attacked on the course by Irish forme ...

. de Lima then lit the

Olympic cauldron The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony starts the Olymp ...

Torch bearers

Notable torch bearers include: *

: de Lima had been selected as the final torch bearer and the one who lit the cauldron after

Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...

declined due to illness. de Lima had been attacked during his marathon run at the 2004 Olympics, when he was leading, making him a leading choice for the honor of last flame bearer. *

: Marcari is considered the greatest Brazilian female basketball player. *

: Kuerten is the best male tennis player in South America in history. *

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was the South Korean minister ...

, Ban is the

Secretary-General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

Thomas Bach Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former foil fencer, and Olympic gold medalist. He has served as the ninth president of the International Olympic Committee since 2013, the first ever Olympic champion to be elected to tha ...

, Bach is the President of the International Olympic Committee *

Carlos Arthur Nuzman Carlos Arthur Nuzman (born 17 March 1942) is a Brazilian lawyer and former volleyball player, having competed professionally from 1957 to 1972 and represented the national team between 1962 and 1968. Nuzman was part of the first Brazilian male v ...

, Nuzman is the President of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Organizing Committee *

Adriana Lima Adriana Lima (; born 12 June 1981) is a Brazilian model. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1999 to 2018. She was the longest-running model and named "the most valuable Victoria's Secret Angel" in 2017. She is also known as a spokesmodel fo ...

, Lima is a Brazilian supermodel. *

Eduardo Paes Eduardo da Costa Paes (, born 14 November 1969) is a Brazilian politician who became the mayor of Rio de Janeiro from 2009 to 2012, reelected for a second term from 2013 to 2016 and a third in 2021. He is the city's 13th mayor. On 12 August, ...

, Paes is the mayor of Rio de Janeiro *

Heloísa Pinheiro Heloísa Eneida Paes Pinto Mendes Pinheiro (born July 7, 1943), better known as Helô Pinheiro (), is a Brazilian businesswoman and former model. Biography At the age of 17, Pinheiro became the source of inspiration for the song "The Girl from ...

, Pinheiro was the source of inspiration for the bossa nova single

The Girl from Ipanema "Garota de Ipanema" (), or "The Girl from Ipanema", is a Brazilian bossa nova and jazz song. It was a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s and won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. It was written in 1962, with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim a ...

. * Pio: Osmar Alberto Volpe is a Brazilian footballer who played for various clubs throughout the 1970s. He was especially known for his career with

Palmeiras The Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional association football, football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes (district of São Paulo), Perdizes. Palmeiras is ...

References

External links

* 3D model
"Rio 2016 Olympic torch"
''The 2016 Olympic torch (designed by Chelles & Hayashi)'', by Wilfried Vougny. April 21, 2016 (in French)
"En 5 Minutes - L'odyssey de la flamme olympique commence"
"Le Journal de Montréal", by Wilfried Vougny, Apr. 21, 2016. {{Olympic torch relays Torch Relay, 2016 Summer Olympics Summer Olympics torch relays