How does the Olympic torch stay lit?

Couple of questions about the olympic torch relay?

• 1, when the torch is lit is it always done in olympia im just wonderin was it lit there because that is where the last summer olympics were held or is it always lit in olympia as that is where the olympics were started. 2, when the torch is processed around the world does it always do a phenomanal amount of mileage by air, or has china just decided to use air travel for a lot of transportation of the relay, where as usually it would be run round the world

• Answer:

  1) The Olympic flame is always lit at the base of Mount Olympus for each Olympiad. It is transferred to a special container from which torches are lit or re-lit if they go out as in the case during the run in England. It is also used in transporting across the ocean. Once the Olympic cauldron is extinguished the flame in the container is put out. The entire process repeats again at the next Olympiad. 2) It is up to the host country where the relay takes place. It has been an international relay recently. As I understand it the torch relay was in England in honor of the 2012 summer Olympiad which takes place in London.