The Olympic fire is already in France and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are getting closer and closer. After touring Greece and sailing for 12 days across the Mediterranean, the flame arrived at the Old Port of Marseille aboard the mythical Belem sailboat, the last French three-masted ship built more than 120 years ago.
The fire was ignited last April 16 at the traditional ceremony held in Olympia and departed on April 27 from the Port of Piraeus to Marseille, where the Belem sailboat arrived accompanied by hundreds of boats and before the watchful eye of a crowd, in the midst of important security measures.
The swimmer Florent Manaudou, Olympic champion in London 2012 and winner of three other silver medals (two in Rio 2016 and one in Tokyo 2020), was in charge of receiving the torch and after getting off the boat he presented it to Nantenin Keïta, a Paralympic athlete born in Mali and who was champion in the 400 meters of Rio 2016 (he also won a silver and a bronze in Beijing 2008 and another bronze in London 2012).
Keïta handed over to local singer Julien Mari, better known artistically as Jul, who was in charge of lighting the cauldron in Marseille and starting this Thursday the torch will begin a 69-day journey through all French regions, including the overseas territory, which will end on July 26 with the lighting of the pebetero.
Emmanuel Macron, president of France, was one of those present at a party that included the intonation of La Marseille by Nabil Rachdi (known as Naestro), various street shows and the flight of French Patrol fighters. In addition, the official song of Paris 2024, Parade, performed by composer Victor le Masne, was unveiled.
There will be about 10,000 relievers of the torch and some outstanding athletes who will carry it will be basketball player Tony Parker, soccer player Didier Drogba, swimmer Frédérick Bousquet and fencer Pascale Trinquet-Hachin. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will have a parade of delegations on the Seine River and although there is still no confirmation, the pebetero would be located in the emblematic Tuileries garden.
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