Torchbearers who have lit Olympic cauldron: Notable names, full list of people, what it means

Plenty of traditions will take place before the 2024 Olympics get underway.

None, though, are as symbolic as lighting the Olympic cauldron. Every two years, host nations put on an immersive ceremony to kick off the event. It all culminates with the cauldron being lit, either by an athlete, notable figure or whoever else might get chosen.

So, what's the history behind lighting the cauldron? And who are all the people who have done the honor?

Here's a full breakdown of the history of carrying the torch and lighting the Olympic cauldron:

When did the Olympic cauldron tradition start?

The first flame appeared at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, but that was just a symbolic flame. Eight years later in Berlin, the Olympic flame and Olympic torch relay was introduced at the 1936 Summer Games.

Who are the most famous people to light the Olympic cauldron?

Every two years, host nations trot out their brightest stars for the distinct honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron. Here are three of the most notable figures to handle the job:

Muhammad Ali, 1996 (Atlanta)

The 1960 Olympic gold medalist lit the cauldron in Atlanta in what was a surprising appearance. Ali was suffering from Parkinson's disease during this time, causing his hand to shake as he battled the pain while holding the torch.

Wayne Gretzky, 2010 (Vancouver)

Gretzky, along with fellow Canadian star athletes Steve Nash, Nancy Greene and Catriona Le May Doan, helped light the cauldron in 2010. Widely considered to be the greatest hockey player ever, Gretzky put the finishing touches on the ceremony as the last torch to be lit.

Naomi Osaka, 2020 (Tokyo)

The route of the torch relay was altered for the Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed the Games back one year. But once everyone gathered in the Japanese capital, the then-23-year-old tennis player lit the cauldron.

Full list of Olympic torchbearers

1936 (Berlin): Fritz Schilgen, track and field

1948 (London): John Mark, track and field

1952 (Oslo): Eigil Nansen, non-athlete

1952 (Helsinki): Paavo Nurmi and Hannes Kolehmainen, track and field

1956 (Cortina d'Ampezzo): Guido Caroli, speed skating

1956 (Melbourne): Ron Clarke, track and field, and Hans Wikne, equestrian

1960 (Squaw Valley): Ken Henry, speed skating

1960 (Rome): Giancarlo Peris, track and field

1964 (Innsbruck): Josef Rieder, alpine skiing

1964 (Tokyo): Yoshinori Sakai, track and field

1968 (Grenoble): Alain Calmat, figure skating

1968 (Mexico City): Enriqueta Basilio, track and field

1972 (Sapporo): Hideki Takada, non-athlete

1972 (Munich): Günther Zahn, track and field

1976 (Innsbruck): Christl Haas, alpine skiing, and Josef Feistmantl, luge

1976 (Montreal): Sandra Henderson, gymnastics, and Stéphane Préfontaine, track and field

1980 (Lake Placid): Charles Kerr, non-athlete

1980 (Moscow): Sergei Belov, basketball

1984 (Sarajevo): Sandra Dubravčić, figure skating

1984 (Los Angeles): Rafer Johnson, track and field

1988 (Calgary): Robyn Perry, figure skating

1988 (Seoul): Chung Sun-man and Sohn Mi-chung, non athletes, and Kim Won-tak, track and field

1992 (Albertville): Michel Platini, soccer, and François-Cyrille Grange, alpine skiing

1992 (Barcelona): Antonio Rebollo, archery

1994 (Lillehammer): Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, non-athlete

1996 (Atlanta): Muhammad Ali, boxing

1998 (Nagano): Midori Ito, figure skating

2000 (Sydney): Cathy Freeman, track and field

2002 (Salt Lake City): 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team

2004 (Athens): Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, sailing

2006 (Turin): Stefania Belmondo, cross-country skiing

2008 (Beijing): Li Ning, artistic gymnastics

2010 (Vancouver): Steve Nash, basketball, Nancy Greene Raine, alpine skiing, Wayne Gretzky, ice hockey and Catriona Le May Doan, speed skating

2012 (London): Desirèe Henry, Katie Kirk, Aidan Reynolds and Adelle Tracey, track and field, Callum Airlie, sailing, Jordan Duckitt, non-athlete and Cameron MacRitchie, rowing

2014 (Sochi): Irina Rodnina, figure skating, and Vladislav Tretiak, ice hockey

2016 (Rio de Janeiro): Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, athletics

2018 (Pyeongchang): Yuna Kim, figure skating

2021 (Tokyo): Naomi Osaka, tennis

2022 (Beijing): Dinigeer Yilamujiang, cross-country skiing, and Zhao Jiawen, nordic combined

2024 (Paris): TBA

What does it mean to light the Olympic cauldron?

The lighting of the Olympic cauldron is thought to be the official start of the Games. When the final torchbearer lights the flame in the stadium at the Opening Ceremony, it's a moment that symbolizes the beginning of competition.

It is an honor for a person to be chosen to light the cauldron in their home country. The responsibility is traditionally given to a sporting legend of the nation, either active or retired.