It is one of the traditions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games: the Olympic flame travels through the host country, in order to show its wealth and its assets to the whole world, before igniting the special cauldron, during the opening ceremony of the Games. And the Paris Olympics are no exception: for months, the organizing committee has been planning the journey of the flame in France.
This Friday, February 3rd, 2023, the COJO revealed to the AFP (whose words are taken back by the Figaro) that the city of Marseille will have the honor to be the point of departure of this unpublished excursion.
" In spring 2024, it is Marseille which will have the chance and the joy to be the first city to welcome the Olympic flame on the French ground. It will arrive in the Old Port of Marseille, starting point of the Torch Relay, before starting a collective journey of several weeks to Paris , "said the organization in a statement .
It is not yet known what the different stages of the flame will be in France: the final route should only be revealed in May 2023. Also, the design of the Olympic torches will not be known before several months.
In April 2024, the Olympic flame must arrive in Marseille... By boat! " To cross the Mediterranean Sea, the flame will embark on the Belem, a majestic three-masted ship which will connect Athens to Marseilles, two cities intimately linked by their common history ", specifies the committee.
Indeed, Marseille is a city founded by the Greeks in 600 BC. This close link between the city and the country of origin of the Olympic Games delights the elected officials of the city and the organizers of the Olympics, who see in this common history between France and Greece a way to recall the history of the Games. To celebrate this event, the Phocaean city has planned to organize " a great popular festival on the quays of the city. "
FOREVER THE FIRST ✨
- Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) February 3, 2023
Marseille will be the 1st city 🇫🇷 to host the flame in 2024! Coming from Athens, the flame will cross the Mediterranean on board the Belem to launch the Olympic Flame Relay 🔥
With our official sponsors we are preparing a great party for you! pic.twitter.com/8fBMiymUlh
Marseille was " a natural and obvious choice ", according to Tony Estanguet, President of the OCOG. It should also be remembered that several events of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are organized in the Mediterranean city: it hosts the sailing and soccer competitions.
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Paris Olympics: here is the detailed 2024 Olympics schedule per event 
