The Olympic flame is set to arrive in France in early May, having travelled by boat from Greece. Marseille will be the first stop of the tour, but several French Riviera towns and cities will also be welcoming the torch as it heads north to Paris.
Outside of the Games, the eternal flame is preserved in Olympia, near the Temple of Hera. After journeying to the southern city of Marseille, where the torch will arrive on May 8th, the Olympic flame will then head towards the island of Corsica for a brief visit before returning to the mainland and setting a course through the western parts of France.
By 7th June, the flame will be at sea once again, this time on a voyage to France’s overseas territories, including La Réunion, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Once the more exotic stopovers are complete, it will be Nice’s turn to host the flame on the the Promenade des Anglais and Quai des Etats Unis before the torch begins its month-long journey to the French capital.
Nice’s long-time mayor, Christian Estrosi, told the French press, “The Olympic flame in Nice on 18th June will be more than a symbol. Being the first stop in the home stretch to Paris, Nice concludes the Ocean Relay before becoming the global capital with the United Nations Ocean Summit in June 2025.”
Six other municipalities in the region – Villefranche-sur Mer, Grasse, Cannes, Valberg, Antibes Juan les Pins and Valdeblore-La Colmiane – will also welcome the flame.
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The relay is a long-held tradition that started in 1936 at the Berlin Summer Games and has become a popular feature of the pre-Olympic schedule, allowing the host country to showcase its most beautiful and historic sites.
FRENCH DESIGN
The torch to be used in the procession has been designed by a native French creator, as is the tradition for the host nation.
Mathieu Lehanneur was chosen for the 2024 Olympic Torch and he has created a sleek and stylish interpretation of the ancient vessel that integrates the three core themes of the upcoming Games: equality, water and peacefulness.
“Equality is symbolised by perfect symmetry,” said Lehanneur on the day he revealed the design. “Water is symbolised by the wave, relief and vibration effects. Peacefulness is symbolised by the gentleness of the curves.”
The torch is being manufactured by Arcleor Mittal, which will make 2,000 versions in total, five times less than for the Games’ previous editions. The company is also making them with the lowest possible carbon footprint at steel factories whose techniques can accommodate the manufacturing in line with the best eco-friendly standards.
Explore the full route in the video below:
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Photo source: Unsplash