Tens of thousands of people welcomed the Olympic torch in the southern French city of Marseille on Wednesday, marking another milestone in the run-up to the Paris Summer Olympics.
French Olympic swimmer Florent Manadou becomes France’s first torch bearer after the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s old port on a majestic three-masted ship from Greece for a welcoming ceremony amid tight security. It became.
The ship entered the old port of Marseille as the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” rang out from the embankment and French Air Force planes painted first the Olympic rings and then the red, blue and white colors of the national flag.
The ship moored on a pontoon that resembled an athletics track, and Manaudou carried the torch to mainland France. He handed it to French Paralympic sprinter Nantenin Keita, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and had Marseille rapper Juru carry it, where tens of thousands of people cheered on the beach and others. The cauldron was lit as thousands of people waved. from the balcony or window.
President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the torch-welcoming ceremony, said: “We can be proud.”
“The torch is on French soil,” President Macron said. “Games have come to France and entered the lives of the French people.”
Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan said more than 230,000 people attended Wednesday’s ceremony.
“Tonight, the people of Marseille won their first gold medal of this Olympics,” Payan said with a proud smile.
The torch was lit in Greece last month before being officially handed over to France. They departed Athens aboard a ship named Belem, first used in 1896, and spent 12 days at sea.
Paris 2024 Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet said the return of the Olympic Games to France would be a “great celebration”.
“As a former athlete, I know how important the start of a competition is. That is why we chose Marseille, because Marseille is undoubtedly one of the most beloved cities for sports. ,” added Estangue, a former Olympic canoeing star who won gold medals at the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Olympics.
The safety of visitors and residents is a top priority for authorities in Marseille, France’s second-largest city with a population of about 1 million people. Approximately 8,000 police officers are stationed around the port.
Thousands of firefighters and bomb squads have been deployed across the city, while maritime police and anti-drone teams patrol the city’s waters and airspace.
Deputy Mayor Yannick Ohanessien said: “Today is a monumental day and we have worked hard to ensure that visitors and residents of Marseille can enjoy this historic moment.”
The torch relay will start in Marseille on Thursday before heading to Paris via iconic locations across the country, from the world-famous Mont Saint-Michel to Normandy’s D-Day landing beaches and the Palace of Versailles.
On Tuesday, military helicopters flew over the old port, which has various fences in place, and a police and military presence could be seen patrolling Marseille’s city centre.
French interior ministry spokeswoman Camille Chaise said officials were preparing for security threats, including terrorism.
“We have taken various measures, in particular we have an elite National Military Police Intervention Group unit that will participate in the torch relay from start to finish,” she said.
The Olympic cauldron will be lit after the opening ceremony on the Seine River on July 26th.
The cauldron will be lit at a location in Paris and will be kept secret until the day of the event. Some of the reported options include iconic spots like the Eiffel Tower and the Jardin des Tuileries outside the Louvre.