Memories of Iconic Atlanta 1996 Cauldron Lighting Burn Bright 30 Years Later
By: LA28 Staff
Janet Evans competed in three Olympics, won four gold medals—five in total—and set numerous world records as one of the most decorated swimmers in United States history. Yet, one moment stands above all from her illustrious career, and it came outside the swimming pool.
As the world readies for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the journey to LA will begin in Atlanta, GA—the first announced city of a historic 50-state Olympic Torch Relay. The Relay will see the Olympic flame return to the site of the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics 32 years after it last appeared in the U.S. for a Summer Games.
Atlanta happens to be the home of Evans' greatest Olympic moment-and THE defining moment of the 1996 Olympic Games.
In '96, the road to Atlanta started with American decathlete Rafer Johnson opening the Olympic Torch Relay at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the same site where he had ignited the cauldron at the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics. In celebration of Atlanta being the Centennial Olympic Games, the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Torch Relay lasted 84 days, and including the ensuing 16 days of competition, the 100 combined days symbolized 100 years of the Olympic competition.
By July 19, 1996, the Olympic flame arrived in Atlanta for the Opening Ceremonies. The flame was carried into the stadium by Evander Holyfield, an Atlanta native and heavyweight Boxing champion, later being passed to Evans for the final stretch.
The American Swimming star circled the track for one lap with torch in-hand before proceeding up a long, steep ramp. It was then that Olympic magic happened.
From beyond the darkness of the stage, a mystery figure emerged. It was Boxing icon Muhammad Ali. His appearance was a surprise, kept secret outside of a handful of event organizers as the Boxing legend had been out of the spotlight while battling Parkinson's disease.
Evans passed the flame via torch kiss to the stoic Ali, who had the honor of lighting the cauldron—creating an indelible moment in Olympics history.
"Passing the torch to Ali was my greatest Olympic moment, and it seems strange because before that I really thought that winning an Olympic gold medal was the best thing you could do," said Evans, who now serves as LA28's Chief Athlete Officer.
"As I ran around that track and I saw all the athletes from around the world cheering for the torch and I made it up those three long ramps, I turned around and saw Ali. He was sick and he was shaking, but when I looked in his eyes, I just knew that he was going to do well because he was a champ, right, and he was determined to make it work."
"For that brief moment, the whole stadium was shaking and they were chanting 'Ali! Ali!' and it felt like the stadium was going to fall down. To me, him successfully lighting that cauldron proved to the world that you can do anything."
Ali, a three-time world heavyweight champion, was a gold medalist in Boxing at the Rome 1960 Olympics under the name Cassius Clay. His lighting of the cauldron is among the lasting images of his distinguished career.
"This [1996] torch is an icon of the Olympic Games," said IOC President Thomas Bach in 2020.
For Evans, that single night in Atlanta left an imprint on her life.
"That moment really changed for me how I view the Olympic Games," said Evans, who notes she nearly declined the ceremonial Torch Relay honor because she was set to compete the following day. "Being a part of something, believing in what you are doing, being proud to be a part of something is really what the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games mean. And that's what I learned in that moment and that's what I carry with me today."
With the Olympic flame returning to Atlanta in 2028, LA28, together with many helping hands, will carry forward the rich history of the Torch Relays and write its next chapter. It begins with a route that will see the flame travel to all 50 states for the first time, before ending in Los Angeles, a fitting conclusion that brings the Atlanta 1996 chapter full circle.
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