The London 2012 Olympics has unwittingly acquired its first iconic image after unveiling an Olympic torch design which looks like a huge cheesegrater.
The gold-coloured aluminium torch has the meshed appearance of a grater with 8,000 holes supposed to represent each person who'll carry it on the torch relay.
Ignoring the unwelcome comparsions, the designers say its triangular shape symbolises the three times that London has staged the Games in 1908, 1948 and 2012, the faster, higher stronger motto of the Olympic movement and the sport, education and culture vision of the 2012 Games.
After having its flame ignited by sunlight at Ancient Olympia, the torch relay will begin next May at Land's End, the most south westerly point of the country, and travel to the islands of the Outer Hebrides north of Scotland before finishing with the symbolic lighting of the cauldron in a yet-to-be-revealed location in the Olympic Park on July 27.
