In a symbolic ceremony, the Olympic flame for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be ignited on Tuesday in ancient Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games. This event marks the commencement of an extensive torch relay spanning from the Acropolis to the South Pacific.
Anticipated by hundreds of dignitaries and spectators, the ritual will take place in the small Peloponnese town, where the Olympics originated in 776 BCE. Held every two years for both the summer and winter Olympics, the lighting ceremony at Olympia holds immense historical significance.
Following the subdued events of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Games due to the Covid-19 pandemic, spectators will once again be able to witness the torch relay events.
During a rehearsal held on Monday, Greek actress Mary Mina utilized a parabolic polished mirror to bring the Olympic flame to life, with 2020 Olympic rowing champion Stefanos Ntouskos serving as the first torchbearer. In case of overcast skies on Tuesday, a backup flame will be utilized.
The ceremony, set against the backdrop of the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera ruins, will be attended by distinguished guests including Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. Notable figures such as French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will also be present.
Artemis Ignatiou, the choreographer and artistic director of the Olympic flame ceremony, described the event as a transcendent experience, evoking a sense of sacredness and historical resonance.
The Olympic flame tradition, dating back to ancient times, was revived in 1936 for the Berlin Games. Retired French swimmer Laure Manaudou, a gold medalist in the 2004 Athens Olympics, is expected to be France’s first torchbearer in Olympia.
Following an 11-day relay in Greece involving 600 torchbearers covering a distance of 5,000 kilometers, the flame will be handed over to Paris 2024 organizers in a ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on April 26.
On April 27, the flame will embark on its journey to France aboard the historic three-masted barque Belem, reaching Marseille on May 8. Subsequently, 10,000 torchbearers will carry the flame across 64 French territories, covering a total distance of 12,000 kilometers.
The flame will culminate in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26, marking the first time the ceremony will be held on the river Seine rather than in the Games’ main stadium.
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