(2 Aug 2024)
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Paris, France. 31st July 2024.
1. 00:08 Various of people taking selfies with the Olympic cauldron balloon
2. 00:19 Various of Olympic cauldron balloon flying in the air with people cheering and taking pictures
3. 00:46 SOUNDBITE (French) Mathieu Lehanneur, designer of the Olympic cauldron balloon and torch:
"It’s the first time that there is a cauldron like this, the first time that there is a cauldron that flies and the first time that there is an Olympic flame that is not a real flame. There were many many firsts. It’s true that from a creative and intellectual point of view, this was a very passionate moment in all its phases. Since the beginning we all wanted this idea to exist and we all started to imagine this balloon floating all over Paris, but there were many many challenges to address: technical, technological, regulations, security."
4. 01:30 Various of people taking photographs and selfies with the Olympic cauldron balloon
5. 01:46 SOUNDBITE (French) Aline Le Quere, businesswoman:
"I think it’s very cool. It’s very original, it changes what we were used to seeing. Plus I think it’s made with EDF (Électricité de France), so it’s not a real flame, it’s water: A much more ecological technique than normal, so it’s very cool. I adore it."
6. 02:01 Photograph of the Olympic cauldron balloon
7. 02:06 Olympic cauldron balloon
SOURCE: Associated Press
DURATION: 02:11
STORYLINE:
The night the Olympic and Paralympic cauldron first flew over Paris, its designer Mathieu Lehanneur held his breath: Nothing could go wrong.
The balloon, lit by the Olympic torch and set off into the sky, was a risk.
After all, it was the first time it had ever been tested in its entirety, Lehanneur told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Some parts, like the balloon or the flame system, had been tested to ensure a smooth flight, but — with so much secrecy — never all together, making the balloon a bit of an Olympic-sized Hail Mary.
So when the golden balloon lit up the Paris skies, the cherry on top of Friday’s opening ceremony, it dazzled spectators.
As the French designer watched in awe, the world watched with him.
For the first time in the history of the Games, the cauldron — a 7-metre (23-feet) diameter ring of fire supported by a giant air balloon — flew through the air.
His idea, inspired by the ancient Greek Olympic flame ceremony, was to represent freedom — one of the three words in the French national motto: "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité."
"It’s the first time that there is a cauldron like this, the first time that there is a cauldron that flies and the first time that there is an Olympic flame that is not a real flame. There were many many firsts," said Lehanneur.
"There were many challenges."
The first hot air balloon flight in history was carried out by the Montgolfier brothers at Versailles in 1783.
So for Lehanneur, it made perfect sense to design a hot air balloon when he won the design competition and was awarded what he thinks it’s the most important project of his career so far.
But the prize-winning French designer didn’t want to indulge in nostalgia: He envisioned an innovative, contemporary balloon.
"It’s very cool. I adore it."
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