The Asian Games opening ceremony was billed as a technological masterclass, the pinnac of which was a giant CGI torch-bearer running on the Qiantang River and lighting a ceremonial cauldron at the Hangzhou Olympic Sport Centre Stadium.
It has been revealed that the figure, known as Xiao Huomiao – meaning ‘little flame’ in Mandarin – was actually a middle school student from Guangzhou, Guangdong province.
Gao Yu, a student at Guangzhou Yuyan Middle School in the city’s Huangpu district, was chosen after event organisers underwent a nationwide search for someone to don the CGI suit and portray of Xiao Huomiao.
Although the organisers kept the process behind closed doors, 100 million people were estimated to have applied, according to Guangzhou Daily, a Chinese language news outlet.
Chinese state media said that Gao was selected because he met the criteria of being “tall with good posture, [having] a sports background and strong arms”.
First year middle school students are 14 or 15 years old in China, and Gao, whose mother was a short distance runner, already stands at 1.8 metres tall and participates in track and field.
Gao said that the filming was hard work, but he was proud and honoured to be selected to take part in the Asian Games.
“Although I did not actually appear, but to be able to participate in the opening ceremony and even light the cauldron was a really precious experience,” Gao told local media.
For the filming, Gao was dressed in a black CGI suit that had green and yellow pads and had to perform various movements and actions while holding one of the ceremonial torches.
His character ran through Hangzhou towards the stadium as former Olympic champions from China, including gold medallist in weightlifting Shi Zhiyong, double gold medallist in badminton Gao Ling, and Wang Shun, who won gold in swimming, passed lit torches to one and other on their way to the cauldron.
“We wanted [the ceremony] to return to sports,” the opening ceremony director Sha Xiaolan said when asked why they included the digital torch-bearer.
“If more people can take part in the lighting [of the cauldron], then it is a really unique moment.”
During the opening ceremony, the show’s host told viewers that Xiao Huomiao represented the millions watching at home and in the stadium.
Xiao Huomiao was not the only bit of computer generated wizardry at the event – those watching at home were treated to an AI-generated fireworks display as the ceremony came to a close.
