What happens to the Olympic torch after the Closing Ceremony?

The Olympic torch makes a transcontinental journey on the way to the Opening Ceremony, but what happens after the Olympic Games come to a close?

Prior to the start of the Olympic Games, the Olympic torch is lit in Greece as a symbol of the birthplace of the original games back in ancient times. These days, the torch gets lit and then goes on a journey across countries and continents to signify the unifying spirit of the Games. That process starts months before the Games commence; in the case of Pyeongchang, the torch was lit in October 2017 even though the Game began in February 2018. So with all of the fanfare surrounding the lighting of the torch, what the heck happens when the Games are over?

The Olympic torch remains lit throughout the duration of the Olympics Games. There’s even a standby flame, lit from the same embers as the one burning in the Olympics stadium, in case the original flame goes out. But when the games are over the Olympic torch is put out.

It’s so not lit.

The torch is lit for every Olympics event, so the flame doesn’t need to keep burning after the Games end. Each Olympics has its own torch design, and the important thing is that the torch is lit in Greece. After the Games, the torch is extinguished to symbolize the end of the Games, and that’s that.

It’s an oddly anticlimactic end to the flame, which is so important in the months leading up to the Games. When it goes out, you can see the host country breathe a sigh of relief as the next host country — in this case, Japan in 2020 — starts working (or is already in the process of working) on preparing for their event.

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After the Games, we won’t have another torch relay for at least another year and a half. And then the fanfare starts up all over again.