Torch Lit with Flaming Arrow at Barcelona Olympics

In 1992, 60,000 people filled the Olympic stadium in Barcelona and watched with bated breath as a man in white aimed his flaming arrow at the Olympic flame.

Not a single smartphone light stood out in the crowd.

Those in the stadium and those following the opening ceremony on television were able to witness this moment.

As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, Spanish archer Antonio Rebollo, whose video of the moment he lit the Olympic torch with his flaming arrow in 1992 went viral on social media, told the BBC about the historic moment:

“I still remember the excitement that rose in the stadium when I took aim and fired the flaming arrow,” says Antonio Rebollo, who lit the Olympic flame in Barcelona’s Lluís Companys Stadium 32 years ago.

Robello says he was chosen from among two finalists for the job, just an hour before the opening ceremony.

The silver medalist para archer stated that he was “never afraid or doubted himself” of making this difficult shot during the ceremony watched by millions of people around the world on television.

The 69-year-old archer, who lives in Madrid, now works as a carpenter in the Spanish Air Force after competing for Spain in both the Olympics and national Paralympics.

He made a bow for himself from umbrella poles

Rebollo, who contracted polio when he was just eight months old and had both legs affected, began wearing a metal device on his leg so he could walk.

Despite these difficulties, he did not give up on his interest in sports and bought his first gymnastics book when he was 8 years old.

He learned exercises to strengthen his legs and began taking small steps without his metal plate.

“Later on, I started swimming, boxing and judo, I was interested in mountaineering and worked with weights,” said Rebollo, who started archery with equipment he made himself.

When he started archery using umbrella handles and walking sticks as bows, he had no idea it was even a sport.

At the age of 20, he learned archery from a friend and went to the Spanish Archery Federation to learn the techniques and equipment needed to practice the sport professionally.

Barcelona Olympics

The organizing team for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics asked Rebollo if he would like to compete with other archers to be selected for the opening ceremony.

“Everyone is used to seeing strong, handsome, tall athletes at the Olympic openings. I couldn’t believe it when I was offered to participate in these tests as someone with a physical disability,” Rebollo says.

“Hundreds of archers were aiming at a target about 100 metres away and 50 metres high,” recalls Rebollo, who soon travelled to Barcelona to showcase his talent.

Rebollo, whose turn came last, said, “I hit the target with the first shot. I was asked to shoot the arrow again and I hit the target again.”

Tests

Rebollo also took training to prepare for the pressure that would come with being at the center of the opening ceremony.

It was explained to Okçu that in addition to himself, singers, models, dancers and cameramen would also be on stage at the show.

Despite all this, Rebollo says that he did not get distracted and managed to just focus on his target, adding that he had never been watched by such a large crowd before:

“Would I be able to handle the tension, or would I faint, or would I get nervous and accidentally shoot the arrow into the stands? I didn’t know any of that.”

Date the

The last Olympic torch bearer, legendary Spanish basketball player Juan Antonio San Epifanio, broke through the crowd of athletes and reached the platform where the para archer was waiting for him.

After Rebollo lit his arrow with the flames of Epifanio’s torch, he hit his target and made history.

Revived by the crowd’s enthusiastic roar, Rebollo recalls telling Epifanio, “Look, we did it,” and then feeling overjoyed.

Viewers thought the arrow from Rebollo’s bow had hit the torch directly, but in fact the archer had aimed higher to hit the gases that would ignite the fire.

It was the era of antenna televisions, video cassettes and Walkmans.

So instead of posing for selfies with would-be selfie-takers or sharing his experience on his Instagram account, Rebollo found himself rushing from one TV interview to the next.

From 4:00 to 5:00 in the morning, he was shuttled from one TV station to another to be interviewed by journalists.

What was the public’s reaction?

A few days later, as he was walking through the streets of Barcelona, ​​everyone started to come and congratulate him.

But Rebollo wasn’t after fame.

He quit professional archery after the mid-1990s.

“After the Olympics, some people won big money and changed. I, fortunately or unluckily, did not experience such an experience. I continued to earn money from my profession as a carpenter,” said Rebollo, who has been working since he was 14 and has not yet considered retiring.

The opening ceremony in 1992 is still regarded today as one of the most unforgettable moments in the history of the Olympic Games.

“I don’t give it much importance anymore, but I know how important this moment still is for the history of Spain and especially for the Olympic Games,” comments Rebollo.

A little advice for young people

Rebollo will soon turn 70.

According to the Spanish archer, future generations must learn to make personal sacrifices, to work hard, to fight for their physical and mental health, but also to fight for the well-being of others:

“As we say in Spain, never throw in the towel, fight like an animal until the last drop of your blood. Because you have to fight.”

Alejandra Martins contributed to the report.