Olympic flame for Paris 2024 games is lit in Greece
There are 101 days left until the start of the Olympics; Torch will pass through French territories
Paris 2024 is coming! This Tuesday (16), the ceremony took place in Olympia, Greece, with the lighting of the Olympic flame, which is part of the tradition of the competition. With 101 days left until the start of the Olympics, the torch will circulate throughout French territories.
The flame is lit in front of the ruins of the temple of Hera. An actress represents the high priestess and uses a parabolic container, known as Skaphia, which reflects the sun’s rays to light the flame. However, without the sun, the flame used was already lit.
After the ceremony, the flame goes to Coubertin Grove, a memorial that houses the International Olympic Academy, in Olympia. Thus, a relay with 550 people will begin over 11 days to the Greek capital, Athens, at the Panathenaic Stadium. The event is a reference to the official delivery of the flame to the Games Organizing Committee. From there, the flame will head to France and is expected to arrive in Marseille on May 8th. More than 10 thousand people will carry the torch.
Greek rower Stéfanos Doúskos was the first torchbearer. He won the gold medal in the single sculls in Tokyo.
The relay will have 68 stages and will cover 400 French cities and overseas territories such as French Guiana, New Caledonia, Réunion, Martinique, French Polynesia and Guadeloupe.
The Olympics
The Olympics emerged in Ancient Greece, around 776 BC, in Olympia, in southwestern Greece. The games were associated with religious rituals paying homage to the god Zeus and were also known for paralyzing conflicts in the region.
In the modern era, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was responsible for resuming the games in 1896. This will be the third edition in Paris. The city already hosted the games in 1900 and 1924.
