It is an important and highly anticipated ritual. The ignition of the flame and its journey are unavoidable. They “are part of a set of ceremonies that gives the Olympics their sacred character”. For the Paris Olympic Games, it is through the Old Port of Marseille that the Olympic flame will begin its long French journey on April 16, 2024. “Forever the first!” There is also a nod to what the people of Marseilles often say with this choice, “launched the president of the 2024 Olympics organizing committee, Tony Estanguet, when he revealed the contours of the flame’s route. , February 3, 2023.
Previously, the flame left Olympia, the historic place of its conflagration, will have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to reach Marseille aboard Belem, one of the oldest sailing ships in Europe. “We made the choice to bring this flame back by sea in connection with our desire for these Games to be the most sustainable in history,” said Delphine Moulin, director of celebrations at the organizing committee. It creates an obvious link with Marseille, the city of sailing for Paris 2024.”
No less than 10,000 porters will take turns over 12,000 kilometers until July 26, 2024, the date of the opening ceremony of the Games in Paris. A novelty wanted by the organizers: 3,000 carriers will be in relay. 64 territories, 54 departments, 5 overseas territories and 5 groupings of territories will be crossed. “90% of French people will be able to see the flame less than an hour from their home. […] It will be a very strong and mobilizing moment for children, schools and sports clubs, ”assures Delphine Moulin. After Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Toulouse are on the program. The Olympic flame will then pass through Montpellier, Sète and Milau on May 13, 2024. Every day, a new landscape, a new setting. On May 22, New Aquitaine will be in the spotlight with seven municipalities in Dordogne and a final in Périgueux. To conclude this first month of the journey, on May 28 and 29, visits to the departments of Maine-et-Loire and Mayenne are planned.
The flame will also pass through the overseas departments, Guyana, Martinique and even Reunion. And even Polynesia, with undoubtedly magnificent images since this department will host the surfing events. Gradually, the Olympic flame will approach Paris; it will be July 5 in Seine-Maritime, July 7 in Eure-et-Loir. On July 14, that’s it, finally arrived in Paris, she should appear in the parade, which will not take place on the Champs-Élysées due to the installation of the Olympic sites. Finally, on July 19, she will visit Val-d’Oise.
The place of the kindling of the flame remains unknown since the opening ceremony will be held in the open air (on the Seine), for the first time, and not in a stadium. A severe test for the security forces.
The identity of those who will carry the flame is not yet known, but obviously many personalities, including sportsmen, will have this chance. Among the 10,000 porters who will take turns, the organizing committee has made a point of the presence of people with disabilities and will respect gender parity. Each torchbearer will carry the flame for four minutes over a distance of two hundred meters. Four Captains have been designated to be Olympic Torch Relay Ambassadors. They are swimming champions Laure and Florent Manaudou, as well as Dimitri Pavadé (long jump) and Mona Francis (paratriathlon).
Over the decades, the routes of the Olympic flame have held their share of surprises and delightful anecdotes. The funniest takes us back to Melbourne, in 1958, when a prankster student took part in the relay with a fake flame built with a stick, a tin can and… flaming underpants. At the London Olympics (1948), the last torchbearer, John Mark, was chosen by the wife of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, for his physique. At the Sydney Olympics (2000), the flame even passed underwater during a visit to the sublime coral reef. Finally, in Turin (2006), her weight – over 2 kg – made her too heavy to carry.