the sacred flame 2024 Paris Olympics lit on Tuesday Olympia, GreeceThe birthplace of the Ancient Games, the ceremony is inspired by antiquity and features a message of hope amid multiple global crises.
“In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city-states, especially during times of war and conflict,” said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
“Today, the Olympics are the only event that brings the entire world into peaceful competition. Then and now, Olympians sent this powerful message: Yes, it is possible to compete fiercely with each other, but at the same time “We can live together peacefully under one roof,” he said.
Cloudy skies meant Greek actresses playing the roles of ancient priestesses lit fires during Monday's rehearsal at the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera, near the stadium where the Olympic Games were born in 776 B.C.
Greek actress Mary Mina carried the torch into a cauldron and lit it for the first torchbearer, 2020 Olympic rowing champion Stefanos Nutuskos.
Former French swimmer Laure Manadou, who won her first gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, followed suit as France's first torchbearer at Olympia.
“Inclusive” game
Officials stressed on Tuesday that the Paris Games will continue the legacy of the previous two Olympics held in the French capital and set new milestones.
“The Olympic flame will shine from start to finish at the first Olympic Games inspired by our Olympic Agenda Reform,” Bach said.
“These Olympic Games will be younger, more inclusive, more urban and more sustainable. “This will be the first Olympics with gender equality,” he said.
Tony Estangue, chief organizer of the Paris Olympics, pointed out that women participated for the first time in the 1900 Olympics in Paris, and the first Olympic Village will be built for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The ceremony resumed with full regalia and large crowds for the first time since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were curtailed due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
The ceremony was attended by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, French Sports Minister Amélie Oudea Castella, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato sang the Olympic Hymn.
The torch is reminiscent of the ancient Olympic Games, where a sacred fire burned throughout the games. This tradition was revived at his 1936 Berlin Games.
During the 11-day relay in Greece, approximately 600 torchbearers will carry the torch over 5,000km through 41 municipalities.
security concerns
The Olympic torch will be handed over to Paris 2024 organizers in a ceremony on April 26 at the all-marble Panathenaic Stadium, site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
Nana Mouskouri, an 89-year-old Greek singer with fans all over the world, was invited to perform at the ceremony.
The torch will begin its journey to France on April 27 aboard the Belem, a 19th century three-masted sailing ship launched just weeks after the 1896 Athens Games.
The Belém, a historic French landmark, spent nearly 20 years on trade trips to Brazil, Guyana, and the Caribbean.
It is the last remaining three-masted steel-hulled boat in France and is scheduled to arrive in Marseille on May 8th.
Afterwards, 10,000 torchbearers will carry the torch across 64 territories in France.
The 12,000km journey covers mainland France and French overseas territories in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, visiting 400 towns and dozens of attractions.
It will be the centerpiece of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26th.
The ceremony will be held on the Seine River, marking the first time it has been held outside the tournament's main stadium.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that it could be moved to the national stadium if a security threat arises.
Instead of the team sailing down the Seine on a barge, Macron said the ceremony could be confined to the Trocadero building across the river from the Eiffel Tower, or “could be moved to the Stade de France.” Stated.
Written by Garyn Lambly ©Agence France-Presse