Cauldron designer 'happy' at popularity of Olympic flame

PARIS : The designer of France's Olympic cauldron said it would be an "honour" if the hugely popular attraction were to become a permanent feature of the Paris skyline, much like the Eiffel Tower did after the 1889 World Fair.

Every day since the games opened last Friday, thousands have booked free tickets to get a close up view of the cauldron, which rises after sunset in a hot-air balloon above the French capital.

"I'm so happy about what's happening, it's unbelievable," cauldron designer Mathieu Lehanneur said near the Louvre museum, at the Parc des Tuileries, where the cauldron stands during the day.

"I was here again last night and so you have to imagine that here behind me, every night from 8 p.m., crowds start to build up and then at 10 p.m. ... (when the cauldron is lit) ... there is an extraordinary atmosphere," the 49-year-old designer said.

The hot-air-balloon and its cauldron were unveiled on Friday night to mark the start of the Games, when French three-times Olympic gold medalists Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner lit the flame at the end of the opening ceremony.

The Eiffel Tower, Paris' best-known landmark, was built for the 1889 World Fair and meant to be destroyed. That never happened.

Lehanneur said it would be a huge "honour" if the flame could stay on, as the Eiffel Tower had done, but said it would probably depend on whether the enthusiasm lasts - and if authorities want it to remain.

For now, it's meant to be dismantled after the Olympic and Paralympic Games are over.

"This exceptional flame is very beautiful ... I'm really quite happy to be able to experience it with everyone, here in France," visitor Gabriel Godeau said.

France's main utilities provider EDF, which was in charge of the flame, said it was