London – The elaborate cauldron at the Olympics opening ceremony, which had been extinguished while it was relocated to another part of the stadium on Sunday, was relit at 7am (8am SA time) on Monday.
The Olympic cauldron – which traditionally burns for the entirety of each Games – was seen unlit within the Olympic Stadium at 11.14pm (23.14 SA time) late Sunday.
Jackie Brock-Doyle, director of communications for the London Olympics organisers confirmed to AFP the cauldron had been put out in order to allow it to be moved to a different part of the venue.
“The cauldron has been put out while we move it to another part of the stadium,” Brock-Doyle told AFP.
The Olympic flame was kept burning in a lantern used during the torch relay, she added.
The cauldron was positioned in the centre of the Olympic Stadium before being lit by seven young athletes in the climax to last Friday's opening ceremony.
The position of the cauldron – and the fact that the flame will not be visible from outside the stadium even after it is repositioned – has attracted criticism.
At most past Olympics, the burning cauldron has been clearly visible from the outside of the main stadium. – Sapa-AFP