IOC President Thomas Bach passes Torch 1000 kilometres on the ME cloud to Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang ©Alibaba

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has taken part in the longest Olympic Torch "kiss" in history.

A hologram of Bach was created in a virtual studio here in the Chinese capital, which allowed him to hand a Torch to Daniel Zhang, the chief executive of Olympic TOP sponsor Alibaba, even though the pair were 1,000 kilometres apart.

On Friday (February 4), Bach had passed the Flame "in person" to United Nations President Abdulla Shahid. on the same park used for the Olympics in 2008.

Fourteen years ago, it would not have been possible for the Torch to have been exchanged virtually.

"We are living in a different world," Bach said.

The Olympics have been taking place in a strict "closed-loop" as part of the preventative measures against the spread of COVID-19.

"I’d love to see you in your office." Bach told Zhang, who at Alibaba headquarters in Shanghai.

Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang at his office in Shanghai 1,000 kilometres away from the Olympic city of Beijing ©Alibaba
Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang at his office in Shanghai 1,000 kilometres away from the Olympic city of Beijing ©Alibaba

The pandemic has heightened the need to find ways of communicating.

"Alibaba's cloud technology has left a whole new set of standards for the Olympics and continues to push it to new heights," Bach said.

It is now possible to use hologram technology as an alternative to face to face meeting to cut down the need to travel.

The "Cloud ME" system, Alibaba’s real-time communication solution helps overcome COVID-19 restrictions and geographical barriers by allowing people to meet via life-sized true-to-life projection, it is claimed.

"For the first time ever, all core systems needed to run these Olympic Winter Games are hosted on Alibaba Cloud," Bach said.

The technology is also helping power the online Olympic store and the "Cloud" operated by the Olympic Broadcasting Service.

IOC President Thomas Bach has praised Alibaba's technology for helping
IOC President Thomas Bach has praised Alibaba's technology for helping "push them to new heights" ©Alibaba

"Alibaba is committed to the digitalisation of the Olympic Games and providing the technology infrastructure to promote a more inclusive and engaging experience," Zhang said.

"We hope to unite athletes and fans around the world with our cloud technology, and allow the Olympic spirit to inspire us all as we celebrate the joy of sports."

The IOC made use of online technology in their session last week, but the hologram experience is expected to make engagements even more realistic.

Alibaba first signed a deal to become part of The Olympic Programme in  January 2017 as "Cloud Services" and "E-Commerce Platform Services" sponsor.