LONDON, England ● The Olympic torch was briefly snuffed out Monday during the relay leading up to the London 2012 Games.
The torch was attached to the side of Para-badminton player David Follett’s wheelchair in the western England town of Great Torrington when the flame went out. London Olympic organizers blamed the incident on a malfunctioning burner.
Such occurrences are fairly common and organizers keep a “mother flame” in a protective lantern just in case.
Follett, who uses a wheelchair after being injured in a car accident at 19, was given a replacement torch and the relay continued. It is traveling on a 70-day, 8,000-mile (12,875-kilometer) trip around the U.K., with a stopover in Ireland.