(Marseille) The Olympic torch relay began Thursday in Marseille, in front of the emblematic Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, where Basile Boli, legend of Marseille football, was the first to carry the torch which will arrive on July 26 in Paris for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games.
The former French international, the only scorer in the victory of Olympique de Marseille in the final of the 1993 European Champion Clubs’ Cup, took off at 8:20 a.m. just under the famous golden statue of the “Good -Mother” who watches over the second city of France.
Dressed in white like all the bearers, he then passed the baton, under a big blue sky, giving the “kiss of the torch” to Colette Cataldo, 83 years old, historic supporter of OM, who sang “Light the fire” by Johnny Hallyday.
“There you go, it makes your heart beat and it’s fantastic. It is the Olympic flame, it is the symbol of sport, of living together, of everything we can hope for in the world,” commented Basile Boli. “I would never have believed that in my life,” exclaimed Colette Cataldo.
“Be careful, this will pass your baton very quickly, take advantage of it! », Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee for the Paris-2024 Olympic Games, had previously told them.
” Let’s go ! »
“The start is important in sport,” he added. “We got off to a good start…now here we go!” Every day we will deliver these moments of celebration and emotion with 10,000 torchbearers in 400 cities in France until the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games (July 26–August 11).
Thursday morning, the day after the lighting of the first Olympic cauldron by the rapper Jul on the Old Port, several dozen people had climbed the hill to witness this special moment and Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille, was present in ceremonial attire.
“It’s a little muscular awakening, but like the Olympics in France, it’s once every 100 years, it was worth it,” said smiling to AFP Julie Landon, 36, who came on foot from a another district of Marseille.
The flame then continued its path below, welcomed by hundreds of people, several also stationed at the windows of buildings.
Like Wednesday, when it arrived in Marseille aboard the three-masted Belem under the eyes of more than 200,000 people, an important security system was implemented to protect the torch and its bearers.
For this great torch relay, a tradition born during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Marseille will be the only city, with Paris, to be crossed over an entire day, carried by nearly 200 torchbearers, athletes, artists and anonymous people, but also a collective of 28 European athletes, May 9 also being Europe Day.
The Ukrainian gymnast Maria Vysochanska, whose father fought on the front against the Russian invasion, will be the captain of this collective relay in which the former French pole vaulter Jean Galfione, or the Polish Anita Wlodarczyk, three-time reigning Olympic throw champion will also participate. of hammer.
Over eight segments traced through the city, the flame will then pass by several emblematic places, notably the Pharo palace, the Corniche which dominates the Mediterranean, the Olympic marina where the sailing events will be held this summer, the Old Port , the Mucem or the large MARSEILLE letters installed Hollywood style at the northern entrance to the city.
Former basketball player Tony Parker, skier Cyprien Sarrazin, author of an incredible double this winter on the legendary Kitzbühel descent, and several members of the French sailing team will also carry the Olympic torch.
Drogba before departure
The actress and comedian Nicole Ferroni and the three-star chef Alexandre Mazzia, associated with preparing the athletes’ meals this summer and whose restaurant is in Marseille, will also be torchbearers.
To conclude this first day of the relay, the last segment will take the flame to the Stade Vélodrome, where 10 matches of the women’s and men’s Olympic football tournaments will be held this summer.
The round ball will then be in the spotlight with the presence of Jean-Pierre Papin, Ballon d’Or 1991, Louisa Necib, Marseillaise and former N.10 of the French team, and Valentin Rongier, current captain of the ‘OM. Zinedine Zidane, another illustrious Marseillais whose name had been circulating for the lighting of the cauldron on Wednesday, is however not included in the program.
The rapper Soprano, a child from the northern districts of the city, will perform a spectacular relay on the roof of the stadium. Then he will give the flame to Eric Di Meco, 1993 European champion with OM, who will himself hand it to Didier Drogba, another legend of the Marseille club, it is up to the latter to light the second cauldron of these Games, at the foot of the legendary Vélodrome.
On Friday, the flame will finally leave Marseille to continue its journey through the Var. Then its path will continue to Paris, via Mont-Saint-Michel, the D-Day beaches, the Château de Versailles and the Millau Viaduct.
reference: www.lapresse.ca