Zippo Lighter Saves Olympic Relay
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy The Olympic torch might not be windproof, but the Zippo lighter still is. On Sunday, shortly after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin kicked off the four-month-long torch relay for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, the flame, which had traveled to Moscow all the way from Athens, Greece, was extinguished in a wind gust outside the Kremlin. As the torchbearer, a former champion swimmer Shavarsh Karapetyan, noticed his torch’s lack of luminance, he hustled over to nearby onlooker, possibly part of the security detail, who deftly got things back on schedule with a quick flick of his Zippo lighter. Burning brightly once more, thanks to the dependable American classic, Karapetyan continued on his leg of the relay with no more incidents. “We’re always happy to provide a reliable flame in a moment of need,” said David Warfel, director of global marketing. “We hope that everyone along the relay route has their ...