The Olympic flame from the Paris Games will arrive in the spring of 2024 in Marseille, where it will begin its journey across the country, the organizers announced on Friday February 3.
“It was a fairly natural and obvious choice”declared Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics (COJO), welcoming a city “passionate about sport, warm, popular and multicultural”.
Marseille will host the sailing events as well as ten meetings of the women’s and men’s football tournaments, at the Stade-Vélodrome. The full route of the flame to Paris, after its arrival in Marseille, should be announced at the end of May, just over a year from the Games, which will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, said Tony Estanguet.
The flame will arrive on board the Belemone of the oldest three-master in Europe still afloat, after a ten-day crossing from Greece, where, as in each edition of the Games, she will have previously been lit during a ceremony held in Olympia.
“In sport, to succeed, we often say that you have to get off to a good start, that’s why it’s important for us that it’s a great popular festival”added Tony Estanguet.
“Marseille was founded by Greeks from Phocaea 2,600 years ago: by asking to welcome the flame to our shores, we wanted to reconnect with this great history of sharing, fraternity, diversity and solidarity”explains, meanwhile, the mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, in a press release.