CHARLOTTE, N.C. — WCNC Charlotte First Warn Weather Team's Larry Sprinkle has been forecasting the weather on our airwaves since 1985, serving the metro area with pride. Beyond making sure everyone in the area is ready for storms or sunshine, he had another very proud moment: as a torchbearer for the Olympics.
In 2002, Sprinkle was selected to carry the torch in the relay to that year's winter games, which were held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Wanting to be a good representative of the Carolinas, Sprinkle said he was mainly concerned about falling over on television.
"You're carrying that torch and you have the Olympic flame in your hand, the first thing you don't want to do is fall down," Sprinkle said. "Make sure you don't do that, and then you make sure to light the next person's torch and it's carried on, but what a thrill it was."
Fittingly, the torch was shaped like a giant icicle, and Sprinkle says he still has it as a keepsake. It's one way he's able to remember a major honor to represent Charlotte on the global stage.
"It was one of the happiest experiences, most exciting experiences I ever had in my life," he said.
Thursday, March 25, 2021, marked the first day of the Olympic torch relay for the 2020 games in Tokyo, Japan. With the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, officials for this year's games have limited who can attend ceremonies and events in person. The relay begins in Fukushima prefecture and ends in Tokyo on July 23, 2021, the day the games begin.
