Taiwan's refusal to accept the Olympic torch on its territory raises questions not only on diplomatic relationships between the two Chinas, but also on the meaning of the Olympic fire in 
the 21st century.After the strong protests which accompanied the Olympic torch along almost all its route to Turin in 2006, another stage has been reached in the process of desacralization of this symbol of the Olympic movement. Now, not only isolated groups of people refuse or try to boycott it, but even a country. The IOC will hardly renounce to the torch relay, one of the main symbols of Olympism, which has, moreover, been taken up by sponsors. One can imagine, however, that – independently from the Taiwan issue – the trip of the torch to Beijing 
t to forget the anti-Coca Cola committees, which already took part in the protests in 2006. The Olympic torch relay was born, as it is known, in 1936. It was created for the Berlin Games; it was part of a larger project of the grandeur the Nazi regime wanted these Olympics to show with a propagandistic purpose. Afterwards, the IOC definitively adopted it: the symbolism of fire is highly evocative, and the flame allows, moreover, establishing a link with Ancient Greece. It was also an extraordinary way of spreading the Olympic idea and to present itself as a really worldwide movement. But today we are no more at the time of the flame, passing through a cheering crowd. Gigantism also struck the Olympic flame, so that today we have more and more ‘global’ and huge relays. Nevertheless, its visibility makes it an easy target for any kind of protests, so that the relays are more and more secured and the torchbearers more and more unapproachable. It will be interesting to see how will be the Olympic relays in the future.
the 21st century.After the strong protests which accompanied the Olympic torch along almost all its route to Turin in 2006, another stage has been reached in the process of desacralization of this symbol of the Olympic movement. Now, not only isolated groups of people refuse or try to boycott it, but even a country. The IOC will hardly renounce to the torch relay, one of the main symbols of Olympism, which has, moreover, been taken up by sponsors. One can imagine, however, that – independently from the 
t to forget the anti-Coca Cola committees, which already took part in the protests in 2006. The Olympic torch relay was born, as it is known, in 1936. It was created for the Berlin Games; it was part of a larger project of the grandeur the Nazi regime wanted these Olympics to show with a propagandistic purpose. Afterwards, the IOC definitively adopted it: the symbolism of fire is highly evocative, and the flame allows, moreover, establishing a link with Ancient Greece. It was also an extraordinary way of spreading the Olympic idea and to present itself as a really worldwide movement. But today we are no more at the time of the flame, passing through a cheering crowd. Gigantism also struck the Olympic flame, so that today we have more and more ‘global’ and huge relays. Nevertheless, its visibility makes it an easy target for any kind of protests, so that the relays are more and more secured and the torchbearers more and more unapproachable. It will be interesting to see how will be the Olympic relays in the future.
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