What fuel is used for the olympic torch?

Answer 1

Fuels used for the Olympic torches

Early on, Olympic torches used everything from olive oil to gunpowder as a source of fuel. Some torches were lit with a combination of hexamine and naphthalene along with an igniting liquid. Occasionally, these early-model Olympic torches proved dangerous to the torchbearer. For example, the torch used in the 1956 Games was lit by a mix of magnesium and aluminum, which wound up searing the arms of the torchbearer during the final leg of the Olympic relay. Liquid fuels, which become gaseous to create a flame, were first used to light the torch for the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, and they have been used to ignite every Olympic torch since then. The benefits of liquid fuels include safety and easy storage.