At 82 cm high, the Atlanta torch is the tallest
for a Summer Olympic Games and was designed
by Malcolm Grear to resemble the 'simplest of
ancient torches, a gathering of reeds bound by
twine'. The twenty-two reeds represent each of
the modern Olympic Games.
The handle is made from Georgia hardwood and
has a gold band around the top, featuring the
Atlanta 1996 logo and Quilt of Leaves motif. The
name of each Olympic Games host city is etched
on another gold band near the base of the torch.