A dusky glow over the Parthenon provided the backdrop for the lighting of the Olympic lantern as part of the flame handover ceremony, ready to make its journey to Marseille and then around the rest of the world.
A magnificent Olympic flame handover ceremony took place earlier today at the Panathenaic stadium in Athens, with traditional Greek-garbed Presidential Guardsmen parading and the high priestess being followed by her priestess procession.
The slightly stubborn lantern took a few attempts to light, but once it had been lit up there was tremendous cheer from the crowd. The flame will now make its way across the Mediterranean to Marseille, and then across the Atlantic to the US, passing and gracing many other countries along the way.
Moments from Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony in Athens, Greece
26.04.2024
Panathenaic Stadium, Athens#Olympics #Paris2024
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— Ο ΜΙΚΡΟΣ ΝΙΚΟΛΑΣ
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(@_n1els_alien) April 26, 2024
The Olympic flame will be carried on Le Belem, a three-masted ship and the last of the great French merchant ships of the 19th century still sailing. It is 126 years old, has changed nationality three times, and finally regained its French flag.
The commentator described the ceremony as a “magical and memorable occasion.”
A Greek spokesperson addressing the crowd said “In a few hours the flame will travel by sea to Marseille, on a boat named Belem, jewel of the French maritime tradition. We Greeks don’t believe in coincidence, the flame will go to Marseille, which was founded by Greeks more than 2,600 years ago.”
He added “Greece and France have lived together on a cultural level for a very long time, and this ceremony makes links, and builds bridges between people. We also remember that big ideas are the ones people need when they listen to the sound of war around them. The Greek poet laureate Girogos Seferis wrote ‘in our gradually sinking world, everyone is in need of all the others. We must look for man wherever we can find him.”
The speaker concluded by saying “The Olympic flame is part of mankind, a promise of a better world which represents the courage of those who will overcome their limits. Paris 2024 will be an absolute success.” This was followed by hoorays and cheers for France and Greece.
The Olympic Opening Ceremony in Paris
The Olympics website states that the “Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games will be bold, original and unique. On July 26, Paris 2024 will offer an Opening Ceremony that is certain to join the most memorable moments in Olympic history.”
Adding “For the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, the Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Paris 2024 is breaking new ground by bringing sports into the city and the same will be true of the Opening Ceremony, set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery: the Seine.”